THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

RIVERSIDE 


LAND   AND    PEOPLES    OF   THE    KASAI 


THK    OI.U    Bll.U.MIU-    RF.l.ATlXG    TlIK    LEGENDS    OF    HIS    TKlKli. 


(see  page  104) 


LAND  AND  PEOPLES 
OF  THE  KASAI 

BEING   A   NARRATIVE   OF  A  TWO   YEARS'  JOURNEY 

AMONG   THE   CANNIBALS   OF  THE   EQUATORIAL 

FOREST   AND   OTHER   SAVAGE  TRIBES   OF 

THE   SOUTH-WESTERN   CONGO 


BY 

M.  W.  HILTON-SIMPSON 

F.R.G.S.,  F.Z.S.,   F.R.A.I. 


WITH    NUMEROUS    ILLUSTRATIONS   AND    EIGHT   FULL- 
PAGE   COLOUR    PLATES   AND   A   MAP 


CHICAGO 

A.    C.    McCLURG   &    CO. 

1912 


Printed  by  Ballantyne,  Hanson  &=  Co. 
At  the  Ballantyne  Press,  Edinburgh 


INTRODUCTION 

I  OUGHT  to  say  a  few  words  as  to  how  the  expedition 
I  have  attempted  to  describe  in  the  following  pages  came 
to  be  undertaken,  and  why  the  task  of  describing  its 
wanderings  has  fallen  upon  me. 

In  the  summer  of  1907  I  was  contemplating  a  journey 
in  the  Sahara  Desert,  a  country  with  which  I  had  some 
previous  acquaintance,  when  the  trouble  between  France 
and  Morocco  led  the  French  Government  to  decide  that 
the  state  of  affairs  in  the  Sahara  was  too  unsettled  to 
admit  of  its  allowing  travellers  to  wander  there  unescorted, 
and,  there  being  already  sufficient  to  occupy  all  the  troops 
in  that  region,  it  felt  itself  unable  to  offer  me  any  soldiers 
to  accompany  me.  I  was  accordingly  obliged  to  abandon 
my  expedition,  for  which  most  of  my  preparations  had 
been  made.  I  was  determined  to  go  somewhere,  however, 
and  Mr.  T.  A.  Joyce,  of  the  British  Museum,  suggested 
that  I  should  visit  the  Congo,  in  the  natives  of  which 
country  he  was  keenly  interested.  He  introduced  me  to 
Mr.  Emil  Torday,  the  Hungarian  traveller,  with  whom 
he  had  collaborated  in  the  writing  of  numerous  papers 
about  the  Congo  natives  for  the  publications  of  the  Royal 
Anthropological  Institute,  and  Mr.  Torday  invited  me  to 
join  him  upon  an  expedition  which  he  was  about  to 
undertake  in   the    Kasai   basin   of  the   Congo   Free    State. 


vi  INTRODUCTION 

I  at  once  agreed  to  accompany  him,  delighted  at  the 
opportunity  of  visiting  equatorial  Africa,  and  of  seeing 
something  of  the  life  of  its  primitive  inhabitants.  Mr. 
Torday  had  already  studied  the  peoples  who  dwell  in  the 
south-western  portion  of  the  Congo  State  around  the 
Kwilu  River,  and  he  desired  to  make  an  ethnographical 
survey  of  the  natives  of  the  Kasai  and  Sankuru  basins,  at 
the  same  time  making  extensive  collections  for  the  ethno- 
graphical department  of  the  British  Museum,  and,  if 
possible,  of  visiting  the  hitherto  unexplored  country 
between  the  Kasai  and  its  tributary  the  Loange,  which 
is  inhabited  by  the  Tukongo,  a  people  so  hostile  to  the 
white  man  that  their  tract  of  country  had  never  been 
traversed  by  a  European. 

The  Kasai  is  the  largest  of  those  mighty  waterways 
which  form  the  tributaries  of  the  Congo.  Rising  not  far 
from  the  sources  of  the  Zambezi,  it  flows  northward  into 
Congo  territory,  turning  almost  at  right  angles  to  the 
west  at  the  point  where  it  receives  the  waters  of  the 
Sankuru,  and  falling  into  the  Congo  about  140  miles 
above  Stanley  Pool.  The  Kasai  is  navigable  for  river 
steamers  up  to  Wissmann  Falls,  above  its  confluence  with 
the  Lulua,  and  these  vessels  ply  upon  the  Sankuru  to  a 
point  a  little  above  Lusambo.  Upon  one  or  two  of  the 
lesser  streams  of  the  district,  such  as  the  Kwilu  (itself  a 
great  river),  the  Inzia,  and  the  Lubefu,  small  steamers  are 
employed.  The  trade  of  this  country  was  in  the  hands 
of  the  Kasai  Company,  which  has  established  numerous 
factories  on  the  banks  of  the  principal  rivers  and  in  the 
interior.     As  no  coinage  had  in   1907  been  introduced  in 


INTRODUCTION  vii 

the  Kasai  district,  Mr.  Torday  knew  that  we  should 
require  very  large  quantities  of  trade  goods,  such  as  cloth, 
salt,  iron  bars,  knives,  &c.,  which  passes  for  money  among 
the  natives,  and  in  order  to  avoid  the  waste  of  money 
which  would  result  if  we  purchased  these  commodities  in 
Europe  and  then  found  many  of  them  unsaleable  in  Africa, 
he  approached  the  Kasai  Company  with  the  request  that 
we  might  buy  such  goods  as  we  required  at  the  factories 
from  the  stock  kept  by  the  Company  for  the  purchase 
of  ivory  and  rubber.  In  this  way  we  should  be  sure  of 
obtaining  the  goods  the  people  of  each  locality  we  visited 
really  required.  The  Kasai  Company  kindly  agreed  to 
this  proposal,  and  also  consented  to  allow  our  baggage 
and  the  collections  we  were  to  make  to  be  conveyed  in 
their  steamers.  The  Government  of  the  Congo,  which  had 
been  requested  by  the  authorities  of  the  British  Museum 
to  further  the  interests  of  our  expedition,  and  which  is 
ever  ready  to  help  forward  the  efforts  of  the  scientist 
or  sportsman,  agreed  to  give  us  special  facilities  for  collect- 
ing natural  history  specimens,  and  to  allow  the  cases  we 
addressed  to  the  Museum  to  come  out  of  the  Congo 
unopened  by  the  customs'  officials.  While  Mr.  Torday 
was  busily  engaged  in  making  the  arrangements  necessary 
for  our  journey,  Mr.  Norman  H.  Hardy,  a  well-known 
painter  of  native  life,  offered  to  accompany  us  for  the 
first  six  months  of  our  journey,  and  as  Mr.  Torday  was 
particularly  anxious  to  secure  reliable  coloured  pictures  of 
the  natives  among  whom  he  was  to  work,  he  gladly 
agreed  to  this  suggestion,  and  Mr.  Hardy  became  the 
third    member    of   our    party.      While    Mr.    Torday    was 


viii  INTRODUCTION 

making  his  investigations  in  the  field,  Mr.  T.  A.  Joyce 
had  been  engaged  upon  library  work  in  Europe,  and  they 
have  collaborated  in  publishing  the  scientific  results  of  the 
journey,  some  of  which  are  not  yet  fully  worked  up, 
although  their  monograph  on  the  Bushongo  tribe  has 
recently  been  published. 

During  the  whole  journey  I  carefully  kept  a  personal 
diary,  in  which  I  described  the  country  we  passed  through 
and  the  various  adventures  which  befel  us  in  our  wander- 
ings. Upon  our  return  home  several  people  suggested  to 
me  that  I  should  write  some  account  of  the  expedition  which 
might  prove  of  interest  to  the  general  reader.  Mr.  Torday 
was  anxious  that  I  should  do  this,  for  his  own  time  would 
be  too  fully  occupied  in  working  up  his  scientific  notes  to 
allow  him  sufficient  leisure  for  the  writing  of  a  book  of 
travel. 

When  I  returned  to  Europe,  however,  I  was  in  a  very 
bad  state  of  health,  for  I  had  broken  a  bone  in  my  right 
hand  some  nine  months  previously,  which  I  had  not  been 
able  to  have  set,  and  which  necessitated  my  carrying  my 
arm  in  a  sling  for  a  couple  of  months  on  reaching  England, 
and  also  the  frequent  fevers  of  the  equatorial  forest  and 
the  period  of  starvation  through  which  we  passed  during 
the  latter  part  of  1908  had  told  seriously  upon  my  con- 
stitution. I  was  accordingly  unable  to  undertake  any  work 
for  a  considerable  time  after  my  return  from  Africa.  This 
must  be  my  excuse  for  publishing  now  a  book  relating 
to  a  journey  which  came  to  an  end  in  1909.  I  would 
ask  my  readers  to  be  so  kind  as  to  remember  that  1  make 
no  pretensions  to  literary  merits.     I  have  for  some  years 


INTRODUCTION  ix 

led  the  life  of  a  wanderer,  and  it  has  been  my  good  fortune 
to  witness  many  strange  scenes,  to  come  in  contact  with 
many  remarkable  peoples,  and  to  visit  districts  many  of 
which  have  never  hitherto  been  described  in  the  English 
language.  I  only  regret  that  I  do  not  possess  the  literary 
skill  necessary  to  do  justice  to  them.  Had  there  been 
any  other  member  of  our  party  who  stayed  with  the 
expedition  during  the  whole  of  its  sojourn  in  Africa, 
doubtless  the  task  of  narrating  our  adventures  would  have 
been  very  much  better  fulfilled  ;  as  it  is,  with  Mr.  Torday 
busily  engaged  in  scientific  work,  and  Mr.  Hardy  absent 
during  the  last  part  of  our  journey,  I  am  the  only  person 
upon  whom  this  task  can  devolve. 

As  my  readers  will  observe,  this  book  has  no  political 
motive  ;  it  is  intended  merely  to  be  a  record  of  our  journey, 
and  they  will  find  in  the  following  pages  nothing  about 
the  atrocities  which  we  hear  have  been  perpetrated  in  many 
parts  of  the  Congo.  The  reason  for  this  is  that  we  came 
across  no  brutality  on  the  part  of  white  men  towards  natives 
during  our  journey  in  the  Kasai  district.  When  I  returned 
from  Africa  I  made  this  statement  to  a  representative  of 
the  Press,  with  the  result  that  I  aroused  such  indignation 
on  the  part  of  certain  persons  that  I  almost  feel  I  ought  to 
apologise  for  my  misfortune  in  having  no  atrocities  to 
describe.  As  my  narrative  will  show,  we  lived  for  practi- 
cally two  years  in  close  contact  with  the  natives,  and  we 
were  fortunate  enough  to  win  the  confidence  of  nearly  all 
the  peoples  with  whom  we  dwelt,  but  I  was  able  to  obtain 
no  tales  of  atrocities  from  them.  What  goes  on  in  parts  of 
the  Congo  which  I  have  never  visited  I  am  not  in  a  position 


X  INTRODUCTION 

to  state ;  I  shall  only  deal  with  districts  which  I  personally 
know. 

Nor  is  it  my  intention  to  attempt  to  instruct  the 
Belgians  how  to  govern  their  new  colony — it  would  take  a 
far  wiser  head  than  mine  to  face  the  many  problems  by 
which  they  are  confronted  in  the  Congo — but  I  would  like 
to  say  one  word  of  warning.  Let  no  one  imagine  that 
"any  sort  of  man  "  will  do  to  administer  the  black  man's 
country,  and  that  the  negro  regards  every  European  as  a 
great  and  wonderful  personage.  Far  from  it.  The  negro 
judges  every  white  man  on  his  merits,  and  no  one  can  more 
quickly  distinguish  a  gentleman  from  a  scapegrace,  or  a 
strong  man  from  a  weak,  than  the  primitive  inhabitants  of 
Central  Africa.  Let  the  Belgians,  bearing  this  in  mind,  do 
their  utmost  to  induce  men  of  the  best  class  to  enter  the 
Congo  service,  and  the  success  of  their  colonial  enterprise 
should  be  assured. 

As  my  readers  may  very  possibly  wonder  how  we  obtained 
a  great  deal  of  the  information  relating  to  tribal  customs, 
&c.,  to  which  I  shall  allude,  I  may  here  give  some  idea  of 
how  Mr.  Torday  carried  on  his  investigations.  In  the  first 
place  he  never  accepted  an  item  of  information  concerning 
the  natives  imparted  to  him  by  a  white  man,  but  only 
recorded  what  was  told  to  him  by  members  of  the  tribe 
concerned.  Secondly,  he  used  always  to  select  as  his 
informants  from  among  the  natives  men  who  had  been  as 
little  as  possible  in  contact  with  the  European,  and  who 
were,  therefore,  still  in  a  primitive  state  of  culture  them- 
selves ;  very  often  he  obtained  his  data  from  chiefs. 
Thirdly,  a  working   knowledge  of  eight  native  languages 


INTRODUCTION  xi 

enabled  him  almost  always  to  dispense  with  the  services  of 
that  very  unsatisfactory  person  an  interpreter,  and  also 
allowed  him  to  pick  up  from  the  natives  a  lot  of  informa- 
tion and  some  legends  which  he  was  able  to  overhear  when 
they  were  being  related  by  the  people  among  themselves, 
and  not  directly  addressed  to  him.  An  acquaintance  with 
Chikongo  and  Chituba,  two  bastard  languages  (both  very 
easy  to  learn)  which  serve  as  a  medium  for  trade  between 
the  various  tribes,  will  perfectly  well  enable  one  to  travel  in 
the  Kasai  district  unaccompanied  by  an  interpreter  speaking 
English  or  French,  but  a  knowledge  of  the  real  languages 
of  the  tribes  is  essential  to  any  one  desiring  to  undertake 
serious  ethnological  researches,  and  this  knowledge  Mr. 
Torday  possesses.  A  long  study  of  the  negro,  a  great 
liking  for  the  primitive  savage,  and  a  keen  insight  into  his 
character  have  endowed  him  with  a  way  of  gaining  the  con- 
fidence of  the  negroes,  and  of  becoming  popular  v/ith  them, 
which  enabled  him  to  visit  in  safety  places  where  a  less 
experienced  man  might  easily  have  been  murdered,  and  to 
which  must  be  attributed  the  success  which  Mr.  Torday 
obtained  in  extracting  much  valuable  information  from  the 
natives — information  they  would  never  have  imparted  to  a 
man  they  did  not  both  trust  and  like.  As  regards  the 
results  of  our  journey,  I  gather  from  the  remarks  made  by 
scientists  at  the  conclusion  of  Mr.  Torday's  lecture  before 
the  Royal  Geographical  Society  in  March,  1910,  that  they 
are  considered  satisfactory,  while  the  collections  made  for 
the  British  Museum  are  very  extensive.  Unfortunately 
lack  of  space  prevents  the  exhibition  there  of  many  of  the 
articles  collected,  but  any  of  my  readers  who  care  to  look 


xii  INTRODUCTION 

in  the  Ethnographical  Gallery  may  find  some  good  speci- 
mens (a  small  part  of  the  collection)  of  Bushongo  wood- 
carving  and  embroidery  to  which  I  shall  allude  in  my 
narrative. 

I  feel  that  I  ought  to  say  something  about  the  photo- 
graphs which  illustrate  my  pages.  With  the  exception  of 
the  picture  of  the  statue  facing  page  209  (for  which  I  am 
indebted  to  Mr.  Joyce)  and  that  of  the  buffalo  head  on 
page  248,  they  are  all  reproduced  from  our  own  negatives. 
Some  of  them,  I  know,  lack  clearness ;  but  if  my  readers 
will  remember  that  the  films  were  used  in  a  terribly  damp 
climate,  that  near  to  the  Equator  the  rainy  season  continues 
practically  the  whole  year  round,  and  that  for  twenty 
consecutive  months  we  lived  under  canvas  and,  accordingly, 
lacked  favourable  opportunities  for  developing  our  photo- 
graphs, some  allowance  may  be  made  for  the  shortcomings 
of  certain  of  my  illustrations.  We  took  a  large  number 
of  photographs,  but  unfortunately  many  of  the  most 
important  of  them  (particularly  of  those  taken  in  the 
forest)  were  ruined  by  the  heat  and  damp  of  that  most 
trying  climate. 

In  bringing  my  introductory  remarks  to  a  close,  I  wish 
to  thank  the  Directors  of  the  Kasai  Company  for  the 
facilities  they  gave  us,  to  which  allusion  has  been  made, 
and  also  the  many  employees  of  that  Company  who  showed 
us  kindness  during  our  journey ;  the  Belgian  Government 
and  those  of  its  officials  who  speeded  us  on  our  way ;  the 
Royal  Geographical  Society  for  permission  to  reproduce 
the  map  which  illustrated  Mr.  Torday's  lecture  in  the 
Geographical  Journal  for  July   19 10;  and  all  those  natives 


INTRODUCTION  xiii 

who  received  us  well,  and  to  whom  we  owe  the  infor- 
mation we  collected,  particularly  Kwete  Peshanga  Kena, 
the  king  of  the  Bushongo,  and  Okitu,  a  Batetela  chief. 
I  would  like,  also,  to  offer  my  heartiest  thanks  to 
Mr.  T.  A.  Joyce  for  being  the  cause  of  my  joining  the 
expedition,  and  to  Mr.  Hardy  for  the  care  he  has  taken  to 
produce  coloured  pictures  for  this  book.  Lastly,  let  me 
express  my  gratitude  to  Mr.  Torday  for  allowing  me  to 
accompany  him,  for  the  assistance  he  has  given  me  in  com- 
piling my  manuscript,  and  for  his  pleasant  companionship 
during  two  eventful  years,  in  the  whole  course  of  which  we 
never  had  the  semblance  of  a  dispute. 

M.  W.  HILTON-SIMPSON. 


CONTENTS 


I.  From  the  Coast  to  the  Sankuru 
II.  In  the  Batetela  Country  . 

III.  In  a  Bushongo  Village 

IV.  With  the  Bankutu  Cannibals    . 
V.  The  Peoples  of  the  Great  Forest 

VI.  At  the  Court  of  an  African  King 
VII.  Up  the  Kwilu  River  . 
VIII.  Into  the  Unknown  Country 
IX.  Among  the  Bashilele. 
Index     .         ."       . 


PAGE 

T 

32 

70 

"5 
153 

185 
229 

275 
329 
347 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


COLOURED  PLATES 


The  Old  Bilumba  relating  the  Legends  of  his  Tribe 

Frontispiece 

Wissmann  Pool         ...... 

To  face  page.  20 

Sounding  the  Signalling  Gong  .... 

68 

Misumba 

91 

Embroidering  the  Raphia  Cloth 

93 

The  Equatorial  Forest 

150 

Bushongo  Elders  Dancing         .... 

))         201 

An  Incident  at  Pana         ..... 

,,         246 

HALF-TONES 
The  Congo  at  Matadi 
A  Street  in  Matadi 
The  Congo  Railway 
A  Stop  at  a  Wayside  Station 
Bateke  Village,  Kinshasa 
Fishermen  on  the  Congo 
Open  Country  beside  the  Kasai 

Mangay 

The  Leader  of  the  Basonge  Orchestra 


5 
S 

lO 

10 
14 
14 
29 
29 
36 


xviii  ILLUSTRATIONS 

The  Sankuru  near  Batempa 

A  Batetela  Drummer 

Batetela  Wall  Pictures      . 

An  Old-fashioned  Batetela  Hut 

Jadi  and  some  of  his  Wives 

Batwa  Dwarfs 

A  Street  in  Misumba 

The  Hunting  Fetish,  Misumba 

A  Bushongo  of  Misumba 

The  Bilumbu  taking  Pills  under  a  Blanket 

The  Bilumbu  dismissing  an  Inquisitive  Child 

A  Ceremonial  Dance  by  an  Elder 

A  Dance  at  Misumba 

A  Basongo-Meno  Warrior 

Our  Camp  at  Gandu 

A  Bankutu  Cannibal 

A  Bankutu  Village 

Bankutu  Bark  Huts 

A  Village  in  the  Equatorial  Forest 

Our  Loads  in  a  Forest  Village 

The  Dogs  with  which  the  Olemba  buy  their  Wives 

A  Vungi  Mother 

An  Akela  Beauty 

A  Primitive  Signalling  Gong     . 

A  Grave-hut  in  the  Equatorial  Forest 

An  Akela  cutting  up  his  Food  . 

Akela  Warriors 


face  page 

36 

j> 

52 

>> 

52 

» 

62 

n 

62 

Jj 

84 

)> 

84 

)j 

lOI 

11 

lOI 

11 

105 

M 

105 

)1 

I II 

>> 

III 

>> 

118 

11 

118 

11 

132 

11 

132 

)> 

142 

)J 

142 

>> 

162 

» 

162 

»> 

173 

>> 

173 

11 

176 

11 

176 

M 

181 

>J 

181 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

A  Belle  of  the  Mushenge  .... 

A  Bushongo  Elder  ..... 

The  Nyimi  in  his  Ghost-dance 

An  Elder  displaying  a  Statue    .... 

The  Statue  of  Shamba  Bolongongo  (now  in  the  British 
Museum)  ...... 

Children  at  the  Mushenge  imitating  a  Bearded  White 
Man 

The  Nyimi's  Sons  playing  with  our  Plrearms 

Mikope  and  Mingi  Bengela       .... 

A  Bushongo  Village  near  the  Mushenge    . 

A  Child  from  the  Mission  at  Pana    . 

Bos  Caffer  Simpsoni :  a  cow     .... 

Bos  Caffer  Simpsoni :  our  best  bull  . 

Cutting  up  a  Buffalo  at  Pana     .... 

A  Hippopotamus  from  the  Kwilu 

A  Bambala  Girl  playing  a  Nose  Flute 

A  Bambala  Boy  playing  an  Ordinary  Flute 

The  Friction  Drum 

Bambala  Gambling  ..... 

A  Babunda  Hut 

Babunda  Porters  entering  Athenes    . 

The  Kwilu  Valley  at  Bondo     .... 

A  View  from  the  Factory  of  Athenes 

Crossing  the  Lubue 

A  Bapende  Dance  at  Dumba    .... 

Kangala  ....... 

Bapende  Boys  wearing  Masks 


XIX 

^ace  p 

age 

194 

)) 

194 

n 

204 

>> 

204 

209 

222 
222 
226 
226 
244 
244 
248 
250 
250 

257 
257 
262 
262 
269 
269 
276 
276 
283 
283 


XX  ILLUSTRATIONS 

A  Bakongo  Village,  photographed  from  the  top  of  its 
Stockade  ...... 

A  View  of  the  Unknown  Country  from  Kangala 

Carving  a  Wooden  Cup  at  Insashi    . 

The  Chief  of  Insashi  calling  for  Canoes 

Gandu,  Son  of  the  Chief  of  Kanenenke 

Removing  a  Lady's  Eyelashes 

Bakongo  of  Kenge  looking  at  our  Doll 

The  Clock-work  Elephant 

A  Badjok  Camp  at  Makasu 

Bashilele  Hunters    . 

Our  Porters  from  the  Kwilu 

Interior  of  a  Bashilele  Village 


To  face  page 

290 

»» 

290 

■>■) 

295 

?> 

295 

55 

308 

55 

308 

5) 

321 

>) 

321 

5> 

zz° 

55 

330 

55 

338 

55 

338 

LAND    AND    PEOPLES    OF 
THE    KASAI 

CHAPTER  I 

FROM  THE  COAST  TO  THE  SANKURU 

We  left  England  on  October  i,  1907,  and  proceeded  to 
Matadi  by  a  vessel  belonging  to  the  Compagnie  Beige 
Maritime  du  Congo.  A  journey  to  the  mouth  of  the  Congo 
by  one  of  the  three-weekly  mail  steamers  from  Antwerp 
is  not  one  that  would  be  undertaken  solely  for  amusement ; 
a  few  hours  at  La  Palice  (the  port  of  La  Rochelle  in  the  Bay 
of  Biscay),  Santa  Cruz  de  Teneriffe,  Dakar  in  Senegal, 
Sierra  Leone,  and  sometimes  at  Grand  Bassam  on  the  French 
Ivory  Coast,  are  the  only  breaks  in  the  monotony  of  a 
twenty-one  days'  voyage,  which  in  itself  cannot  be  expected 
to  be  particularly  cheerful  when  one  remembers  that  the 
majority  of  the  passengers  are  going  out  to  spend  three 
years'  service  as  officials  or  employees  of  trading  companies 
in  one  of  the  most  unhealthy  climates  of  the  world.  As  a 
rule,  I  believe,  the  voyage  to  the  Congo  is  not  marked  by 
any  particular  incident,  while  the  monotony  of  the  journey 
home  is  only  broken  by  the  temporary  gloom  cast  by  the  all 
too  frequent  burials  at  sea.     Our  own  journey  to  Matadi 


2        LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

was  devoid  of  any  kind  of  interest,  and  the  days  dragged 
on  with  painful  slowness  until,  long  before  any  land  had 
appeared  in  sight,  the  muddy  appearance  of  our  bath  water 
informed  us  that  we  were  approaching  the  mouth  of  the 
Congo.  The  great  volume  of  water  issuing  from  the  river 
discolours  the  sea  for  many  miles,  and  I  am  told  that  the 
water  is  quite  drinkable  at  a  very  considerable  distance  from 
land. 

There  are  four  ports  at  which  the  steamers  call  in  the 
estuary  of  the  Congo — Banana  Point,  Boma,  Noki,  and 
Matadi.  At  the  first  of  these  our  vessel  stopped  to  unload 
a  quantity  of  cargo  for  the  Dutch  House,  the  oldest  of  the 
Congo  trading  firms,  and  we  spent  an  hour  or  two  ashore, 
mainly  with  the  object  of  exercising  the  two  fox  terriers  we 
had  brought  with  us  from  Europe,  exploring  the  narrow 
strip  of  land  projecting  southwards  from  the  right  bank  of 
the  river  in  the  form  of  the  fruit  from  which  it  takes  its 
name,  washed  on  the  one  side  by  the  waters  of  the  Congo 
and  on  the  other  by  Atlantic  surf.  There  is  little  to  see  at 
Banana,  the  place  consisting  solely  of  the  residences  of 
one  or  two  officials,  the  establishment  of  the  Dutch  House, 
and  a  sanatorium,  whither  patients  are  sent  from  Boma  and 
Matadi  to  be  braced  up  by  sea  air  after  severe  attacks  of 
fever,  though  the  number  of  mangrove  swamps  which  inter- 
sect the  narrow  promontory  do  not  give  it  exactly  the 
appearance  of  a  health  resort. 

At  Boma,  situated  about  fifty-five  miles  further  up  the 
river  on  the  right  bank,  there  is  more  to  be  seen,  but  our 
time  was  too  much  occupied  in  visiting  various  officials 
upon  business  connected  with  our  journey  to  allow  us  to 


FROM   THE    COAST    TO   THE   SANKURU     3 

take  more  than  a  cursory  glance  at  the  capital  of  the  Inde- 
pendent State  of  the  Congo,  with  its  shops,  its  bungalows, 
and  its  little  steam  tramway,  emblems  of  civilisation  that  we 
were  soon  to  leave  far  behind  us. 

There  were  formalities  to  be  gone  through  before  we 
could  land  our  baggage  and  stores  in  the  country  and 
proceed  upon  our  journey.  We  had  to  visit  the  offices  of 
the  Etat  Civile,  where  we  filled  up  "  matriculation"  forms 
dealing  with  our  ages,  occupations,  and  dates  of  our  parents' 
birth,  and  other  such  matters  of  great  interest  to  the 
authorities,  and  this  done  we  called  upon  the  Vice  Governor- 
General,  Monsieur  Fuchs,  acting  in  place  of  the  Baron 
Wahis,  who  was  in  Europe.  Monsieur  Fuchs  received  us 
most  kindly ;  he  had  already  been  requested  from  Brussels 
to  do  all  in  his  power  to  help  forward  our  plans,  and  he 
readily  consented  to  allow  us  to  introduce  into  the  country 
sundry  prohibited  articles,  such  as  arms  for  an  escort,  and 
promised  to  do  his  best  for  us  in  the  matter  of  granting  us 
permission  to  shoot  game  all  the  year  round,  to  hunt  in  the 
reserves,  and  to  shoot  elephants.  He  also  told  us  that, 
should  the  necessity  arise,  we  should  be  provided  with  an 
escort  of  troops,  and  he  informed  us  that  he  would  issue  an 
order  to  all  the  officials  in  the  district  of  Lualaba-Kasai 
requesting  them  to  render  us  all  the  assistance  in  their 
power.  The  result  of  our  interview  with  Monsieur  Fuchs 
was  that  we  obtained  facilities  for  collecting  natural  history 
specimens  which  the  game  laws  would  otherwise  have 
closed  to  us,  and  also  our  mission  was  officially  recognised 
by  the  Government,  and  we  were  thus  saved  endless  an- 
noying   delays   which    might  have    arisen   later  on    if  any 


4        LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

up-country  official  had   chosen  to  have  doubts  as  to  our 
bona  fides. 

Having  paid  our  visits  to  the  officials,  we  partook  of  tea 
with  Mrs.  Underwood,  the  wife  of  Messrs.  Hatton  and 
Cookson's  agent  at  Boma.  Mr.  Underwood,  who  has 
recently  died  upon  his  return  to  Europe,  had,  I  think, 
resided  on  the  Congo  longer  than  any  other  white  man. 
He  was  there  before  the  Congo  State  was  founded,  and, 
except  for  brief  periods  of  leave  in  Europe,  remained  there 
until  just  before  his  death  in  19 lo.  This  gentleman  was 
to  arrange  for  the  shipment  to  England  of  the  many  pack- 
ages for  the  Museum  which  we  hoped  to  send  down  to  the 
coast,  and  his  firm  had  kindly  consented  to  act  as  our 
bankers  (for  banks  did  not  then  exist  in  the  Congo,  though 
I  understand  one  is  now  to  be  established),  so  we  had  a 
good  deal  of  business  to  transact  with  him  before  going  on 
board  the  Bruxellesville  for  the  night. 

Our  ship  left  Boma  at  dav/n  on  the  following  day,  so 
we  had  little  or  no  time  to  inspect  the  town.  Shortly  after 
leaving  the  mouth  of  the  Congo,  the  woods  which  had 
clothed  the  banks,  particularly  on  the  south  or  Portuguese 
shore,  gave  place  to  open,  grassy  plains,  sparsely  studded 
with  trees,  and  low  hills  began  to  appear,  which,  as  one 
draws  near  to  Noki,  rise  to  a  considerable  height  and  extend 
eastwards  to  the  vicinity  of  Stanley  Pool.  Noki  is  a  small 
Portuguese  post  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river,  from  which 
runs  a  road  to  San  Salvador,  an  important  town  in  the 
interior  of  Angola,  and  all  the  mail  steamers  call  there,  but 
as  landing  has  to  be  effected  in  boats,  and  the  place  possesses 
nothing   of   interest,  passengers    usually  remain    on    board 


The  Congo  at  Matadi 


A  STREET  IN  Matadi. 


FROM   THE   COAST   TO    THE   SANKURU     5 

while  cargo  is  discharged.  Between  Noki  and  Matadi,  the 
first  Congolese  post  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river,  the 
scenery  is  extremely  fine.  The  Congo  makes  a  sharp  turn 
to  the  left  at  this  point,  and  the  stream,  flowing  through  a 
deep  ravine  between  ranges  of  rocky  hills,  is  so  strong  that 
the  bend  in  the  river  is  known  as  the  Devil's  Cauldron. 
Foam-crested  waves  break  the  surface  of  the  waters,  and 
only  by  hugging  the  southern  shore  can  small  steamers 
make  headway  against  the  current.  The  port  of  Matadi, 
or  "  The  Stones,"  is  built,  as  its  name  implies,  among  the 
rocks  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river.  It  lies  just  below  the 
cataracts  which  render  the  lower  Congo  impossible  for 
navigation,  and  just  above  the  frontier  between  Angola  and 
the  Belgian  Congo.  At  Matadi  commences  the  railway  to 
Stanley  Pool,  so  all  the  merchandise  intended  for  the  interior 
is  unloaded  there,  and  there  all  the  produce  of  the  Congo 
State  is  shipped.  It  is  a  most  unprepossessing  place.  In- 
tensely hot,  owing  to  its  rocky  surroundings,  it  is  too  much 
enclosed  by  hills  to  receive  any  cooling  breezes  from  the 
sea,  and  there  are  few  trees  about  the  place  to  afford  shelter 
from  the  scorching  rays  of  the  tropical  sun.  We  were  com- 
pelled to  spend  three  days  at  Matadi  in  order  to  see  to  the 
registration  of  our  guns  and  rifles,  all  of  which  have  to  be 
stamped  with  a  Government  mark  by  which  they  could  be 
identified  should  we,  in  defiance  of  the  law,  sell  them  to  the 
natives,  and  to  pass  our  stores  through  the  customs.  We 
had  brought  with  us  several  cases  of  whisky  and  brandy, 
sufficient  to  last  us  as  medical  comforts  for  the  whole  of  our 
two  years'  journey.  We  had  had  to  obtain  at  Boma  special 
permission  to  bring  this  quantity  of  alcohol  into  Congolese 


6        LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

territory,  for  the  importation  of  spirits  is  very  strictly 
limited,  each  white  man  being  allowed  to  receive  but  three 
litres  of  alcohol  per  moAth,  with  the  double  object  of 
checking  excessive  drinking  among  the  white  residents  of  the 
interior,  and  of  preventing  strong  drink  from  becoming  an 
article  of  exchange  in  trading  with  the  natives.  At  Matadi 
these  regulations  do  not  hold  good,  and  the  natives  can 
purchase  wine,  &c.,  at  the  various  stores,  for  in  such  close 
proximity  to  Portuguese  territory,  where  no  such  regulations 
exist,  it  would  be  quite  impossible  to  prevent  the  native 
from  obtaining  liquor  if  he  required  it. 

At  Matadi  we  engaged  the  only  "  boy,"  or  personal 
servant,  whom  we  intended  to  take  with  us  from  the  coast, 
for  Torday  had  determined  to  recruit  our  servants  from 
among  the  uncivilised  and  simple-minded  natives  whose 
country  we  were  to  visit,  and  to  have  only  one  or  two 
experienced  "  boys,"  who  could  turn  this  raw  material  into 
useful  servants.  We  found  a  native  of  Loango,  by  name 
Balo,  who  was  willing  to  accompany  us.  For  some  reason 
or  other,  we  gave  this  man  the  name  of  Jones,  and  Jones  he 
remained  until  he  left  us  in  January  1909.  He  spoke  a 
little  French  and  a  word  or  two  of  English  in  addition  to 
the  Chikongo  dialect,  which  is  the  lingua  franca  oi  tho.  Lower 
Congo,  and  we  found  him  an  invaluable  servant  during  the 
early  part  of  our  journey. 

At  last  all  our  preparations  had  been  completed  and 
we  were  free  to  depart  by  the  next  train  for  Leopoldville. 
We  were  only  able  to  take  with  us  a  comparatively  small 
amount  of  personal  baggage  owing  to  the  high  rate  of 
charges  for  excess  baggage  on  the  railway,  fifty  centimes 


FROM   THE    COAST   TO   THE   SANKURU     7 

being  charged  for  every  kilogramme  over  the  thirty  kilos 
allowed  to  each  first-class  passenger ;  we  therefore  arranged 
for  our  stores  and  other  heavy  baggage  to  be  sent  on  to 
us  as  early  as  possible  by  goods  train,  for  we  should  not 
need  either  food-stufFs  or  camp  equipment  during  the  ten 
days  or  so  we  intended  to  stay  on  the  shores  of  Stanley 
Pool.  These  charges  for  freight  as  well  as  the  first-class 
fare  of  ;^8  may  sound  exorbitant  for  a  journey  of  only 
about  two  hundred  and  forty  miles,  but  it  must  be  re- 
membered that  the  railway  was  enormously  expensive  to 
build  owing  to  the  mountainous  character  of  the  country 
through  which  it  passes,  and  travelling  at  the  present 
rates,  high  as  they  are,  is  far  cheaper  than  was  the  case 
before  the  line  was  completed,  when  everything  had  to  be 
carried  up  from  Matadi  by  native  porters.  The  cost  in 
life  when  making  the  railway  was  enormous — it  is  said 
that  every  kilometre  cost  one  white  man's  life  and  every 
metre  the  life  of  a  native — but  the  existence  of  the  line 
has  prevented  many  a  death.  In  the  old  days  the  journey 
on  foot  to  Stanley  Pool  took  a  heavy  toll  of  the  white 
men  destined  for  the  far  interior.  The  newly  appointed 
State  agent  or  trader's  employee  had  to  march  for  three 
weary  weeks  across  a  rough  and  hilly  country  just  after 
his  arrival  in  Africa,  before  he  had  learned  to  take  care 
of  his  health  in  the  treacherous  Congo  climate.  He 
would  toil  breathless  and  perspiring  to  the  summit  of  a 
hill,  and  there,  in  his  ignorance,  sit  down  to  rest  and 
enjoy  the  freshness  of  the  breeze,  with  the  result  that  in 
many  cases  he  never  reached  the  Pool.  Had  these  hills 
been    situated    in    the    far    interior    they    would    have   been 


8        LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

much  less  deadly,  but  lying  at  the  very  commencement 
of  the  up-country  journey  they  were  a  veritable  death-trap 
to  the  inexperienced  traveller.  The  cataracts  of  the  Congo, 
which  render  the  existence  of  a  railway  necessary,  are,  I  pre- 
sume, too  extensive  and  the  volume  of  water  which  pours 
down  them  far  too  great  to  admit  of  the  possibility  of 
engineering  skill  being  able  ever  to  open  the  whole  river 
to  navigation.  What  a  change  could  be  wrought  in  the 
opening  up  of  the  country  if  only  steamers  could  ply 
between  Matadi  and  the  Pool !  At  present  every  vessel 
intended  for  use  on  the  Upper  Congo  and  its  mighty 
tributaries  has  to  be  conveyed  in  small  sections  at  great 
expense  up  the  railway  and  fitted  together  at  Leopoldville 
or  Kinshasa,  the  result  being  that  the  cost  of  even  a  very 
small  steamer  has  become  enormous  by  the  time  it  is 
ready  to  be  used ;  and  at  present  the  possession  of  a 
steamer  is  a  necessity  to  any  individual  or  company 
desiring  to  trade  in  the  vicinity  of  the  great  waterways, 
for  transport  upon  State  vessels  is  very  costly ;  accordingly, 
so  much  capital  is  required  to  start  a  commercial  enter- 
prise in  the  interior  as  to  put  such  undertakings  quite 
beyond  the  reach  of  the  small  company  or  individual 
trader.  But  it  is  not  the  object  of  this  book  to  discuss 
questions  relating  to  the  trade  in  the  Congo,  so  I  will 
return  to  the  narrative  of  our  journey. 

The  travelling  on  the  Congo  railway  is  by  no  means 
luxurious,  the  train  consisting  of  one  first-class  carriage 
capable  of  seating  twelve  persons  in  chairs,  placed  six  on 
each  side  of  the  vehicle,  one  second-class  carriage  with 
open    sides    suggestive    of    a    cattle    truck    and    filled    to 


FROM   THE    COAST   TO   THE   SANKURU     9 

overflowing  with  natives  attired  in  every  caricature  of 
European  dress,  and  a  baggage  van.  But  any  one  who 
has  not  previously  taken  the  journey  can  soon  forget 
the  discomfort  and  stuffy  heat  of  the  railway  carriage  as 
he  gazes  upon  the  fine  scenery  through  which  he  passes 
or  marvels  at  the  triumphs  of  engineering  which  the  line 
represents.  Shortly  after  leaving  Matadi  the  train  ascends 
a  steep  gradient  and  runs  along  a  narrow  ledge,  cut  out 
of  the  hill-side,  overhanging  the  precipitous  valley  of  the 
Congo,  through  which  the  mighty  river  rushes,  turbulent 
and  foam-flecked,  from  the  cataracts  to  the  sea.  But 
one  sees  little  of  the  Congo  from  the  train,  for  soon  the 
line  leaves  the  river-side,  keeping  to  the  south  of  the 
valley,  and  winds  in  and  out  among  rocky  hills  or 
passes  through  mile  upon  mile  of  dense  woodland,  a 
foretaste  of  the  impenetrable  fastnesses  of  the  equatorial 
forest ;  and  only  when  one  reaches  the  shores  of  Stanley 
Pool  does  one  return  to  the  banks  of  the  Congo.  The 
night  is  spent  at  Thysville,  named  after  Colonel  Thys, 
the  engineer  who  built  the  railway.  There,  there  is  a  very 
decent  hotel,  maintained  by  the  railway  company,  where 
passengers  dine  and  sleep  in  comfort.  But  when  once 
Thysville  is  passed  the  traveller  has  left  hotels  behind 
him,  for  he  will  find  none  at  Leopoldville  or  beyond. 
Thysville  lies  high,  and  the  night  air  there  is  chilly ;  in 
fact  it  strikes  one  as  intensely  cold  when  returning  home 
after  a  long  stay  in  the  great  heat  of  the  interior,  and 
in  the  early  mornings  as  a  rule  the  surrounding  hills  are 
obscured  by  a  damp  mist  which  gives  the  place  a  dis- 
tinctly   unhealthy    appearance.       The    climate,    however. 


10      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

cannot  be  so  bad  as  one  might  think,  for  I  believe  that 
the  State  is  about  to  build  a  sanatorium  there,  whither 
officials  who  have  broken  down  in  health  may  be  sent 
for  a  spell  of  sick  leave.  Up  to  Thysville  the  line  rises, 
but  beyond  this  point  it  descends  to  the  Pool.  Our 
journey  was  not  marked  by  any  incident  worthy  of  note, 
excepting  that  just  before  arriving  at  a  wayside  station 
our  engine  refused  to  face  a  particularly  steep  gradient, 
and  we  were  left  waiting  on  the  line  for  an  hour  or  so 
while  a  fresh  locomotive  was  summoned  from  Thysville, 
which  v/as,  fortunately,  not  far  away.  At  the  numerous 
little  stations  natives  would  come  to  the  train  to  sell 
pine-apples  and  bananas,  but  these  people  all  belonged  to 
the  semi-civilised  class  of  negro  who  possesses  but  little 
interest  to  any  one  who  wishes  to  study  the  African  apart 
from  the  influence  of  European  manners  and  customs. 

At  about  three  in  the  afternoon  of  the  second  day 
the  train  drew  up  at  Kinshasa,  on  the  banks  of  Stanley 
Pool,  and  we  alighted.  We  had  arranged  to  be  conveyed 
from  Stanley  Pool  to  Dima,  the  headquarters  of  the 
Kasai  Company,  in  one  of  the  company's  steamers,  which 
vessels  always  stop  at  Kinshasa  to  unload  their  cargo  and 
take  up  merchandise  from  the  railway,  so  we  did  not 
proceed  direct  to  the  rail-head  at  Leopoldville,  but  spent 
a  couple  of  nights  in  Kinshasa  in  the  house  of  a  Portu- 
guese trader,  who  lodges  such  travellers  as  belong  to  no 
company,  and  therefore  have  no  house  to  go  to,  for,  as 
I  have  said,  hotels  do  not  exist  in  Kinshasa  ;  all  the  big 
up-river  companies,  however,  have  their  forwarding-agents 
resident  there,  and  these  provide  lodgings  for  their  other 


Till':    COXGO    RAILWAY. 


A    STOP    AT    A    WAYSIDE    STAl  ION. 


FROM   THE    COAST   TO   THE   SANKURU    ii 

employees  journeying  to  or  from  the  coast.  Kinshasa  is 
but  a  shadow  of  its  former  self.  At  one  time  a  con- 
siderable garrison  of  native  troops  was  kept  there,  but 
these  were  moved  on  to  Leopoldville  after  an  out- 
break of  sleeping  sickness ;  then  extensive  plantations  of 
coffee,  &c.,  were  made,  but  for  some  reason  or  other 
they  failed  to  pay  and  were  abandoned,  with  the  result 
that  the  once  flourishing  settlement  of  Kinshasa  has  de- 
generated into  a  simple  post  for  the  despatch  by  train  of 
rubber  and  ivory  brought  from  the  interior  by  steamer, 
with  a  white  population  consisting  only  of  one  or  two 
officials  connected  with  the  customs,  who  inspect  the 
exports,  a  missionary,  and  the  above-mentioned  forward- 
ing-agents  of  companies.  Its  beautiful  shady  avenues 
are  deserted,  most  of  its  neat  brick-built  bungalows  have 
fallen  into  decay,  and  the  many  acres  of  plantations  are 
hardly  distinguishable  from  the  surrounding  bush.  The 
general  air  of  decadence,  combined  with  the  clouds  of 
mosquitoes  which  infest  the  place,  do  not  make  Kinshasa 
a  particularly  desirable  place  to  stay  in,  so  we  were  not 
sorry  to  move  on  to  Leopoldville,  where  we  were  to  make 
some  anthropological  measurements  while  waiting  the 
arrival  of  our  stores  from  the  coast.  At  Kinshasa  we 
visited  the  first  really  native  village  we  had  seen  in  the 
Congo,  a  settlement  of  the  Bateke  tribe,  situated  close 
to  the  European  residents'  houses.  These  people  have 
been  (and  I  believe  still  are)  most  enthusiastic  traders, 
but  were  not  particularly  friendly  to  the  white  man  when 
Stanley  first  established  the  Congo  State  upon  the  shores 
of    the    Pool.       Their    village    at    Kinshasa    is    extremely 


12      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE    KASAI 

pretty,  the  quaint  grass  huts  scattered  about  beneath  the 
shade  of  the  palm  and  baobab  trees  forming  a  picture 
far  more  pleasing  to  the  eye,  if  less  suggestive  of  pro- 
gress, than  the  groups  of  mud  dwellings  built  in  imitation 
of  Europeans'  bungalows  which  are  to  be  seen  near  the 
wayside  stations  on  the  line. 

Leopoldville  lies  upon  the  shores  of  Stanley  Pool,  a  few 
miles  to  the  west  of  Kinshasa.  There  are  here  no  hotels, 
and  as  the  quarters  occupied  by  the  agents  of  Messrs. 
Hatton  &  Cookson,  who  own  a  considerable  trading 
establishment  here,  were  full  up  with  three  Europeans, 
we  were  obliged  to  call  upon  the  Commissioner  of  the 
district  of  Stanley  Pool  to  ask  if  there  was  a  vacant 
bungalow  in  which  we  could  sleep.  This  gentleman 
kindly  allowed  us  to  occupy  two  rooms  in  the  buildings 
used  by  a  company  which  is  building  the  railway  through 
the  Upper  Congo  to  the  Great  Lakes,  situated  close  to  the 
water's  edge.  We  took  our  meals  with  Messrs.  Hatton  and 
Cookson's  agents.  Although  Leopoldville  is  so  important 
a  place  and  is  surrounded  by  an  enormous  native  popula- 
tion, the  cost  of  living  there  is  very  great,  and  fresh  meat 
is  so  difficult  to  obtain,  owing,  I  believe,  to  the  ravages  of 
the  tsetse  fly  among  the  cattle  which  are  kept  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood, that  the  white  residents  are  more  dependent  upon 
tinned  foods  imported  from  Europe  than  the  traders  and 
officials  of  most  of  the  remote  districts  of  the  interior.  In 
addition  to  the  white  officers  of  the  garrison  and  the 
numerous  Government  officials  resident  at  Leopoldville, 
there  are  a  large  number  of  European  engineers  in  the 
employ  of  the  Government,  whose  occupation  it  is  to  put 


FROM   THE   COAST   TO   THE   SANKURU    13 

together  the  steamers  brought  up  the  railway  in  sections 
and  to  repair  those  which  have  become  damaged  in  their 
voyages  on  the  Congo  and  its  tributary  streams.  The 
Great  Lakes  Railway  Company  has  several  European 
employees  at  Leopoldville,  and  a  number  of  independent 
traders  (for  the  most  part  Portuguese)  bring  up  the  number 
of  Europeans  in  Leopoldville  to  somewhere  about  300.  The 
natives,  who  inhabit  numberless  villages  in  the  immediate 
neighbourhood  of  the  settlement,  consist  for  the  most  part 
of  retired  soldiers,  or  people  who  have  worked  in  some 
other  capacity  for  the  white  man  and  who  have  become,  in 
their  own  opinion  at  any  rate,  too  civilised  to  care  to 
return  to  their  primitive  homes  in  the  interior.  It  would 
almost  appear  that  Leopoldville  is  situated  too  close  to  the 
cataracts  of  the  Congo,  which  commence  a  mile  or  two  to 
the  west  of  the  town  at  the  point  where  the  river  flows 
out  of  the  Pool,  and  the  long-drawn  roar  of  which  is 
continually  in  one's  ears  in  all  parts  of  the  settlement ;  and 
in  order  to  prevent  vessels  approaching  the  quays  of  Leo- 
poldville, which  have  taken  a  course  rather  too  near  to 
the  rapids,  from  being  swept  by  the  stream  to  certain 
destruction,  it  is  necessary  to  keep  a  small  but  exceedingly 
powerful  steamer  always  ready  to  go  to  the  assistance  of 
a  vessel  which  may  seem  to  be  unable  to  make  the  shore. 
I  will  not  weary  my  readers  with  an  account  of  the  work 
upon  which  we  were  engaged  during  the  fortnight  or  so 
that  we  spent  at  Leopoldville.  It  consisted  almost  entirely 
in  making  a  large  number  of  anthropological  measurements, 
and  in  photographing  types  of  natives  of  the  many  tribes 
of  which  representatives  are  to  be  found  in  this  great  centre 


14      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE    KASAI 

of  European  influence.  A  large  number  of  the  people 
whom  we  measured  were  soldiers.  The  officer  com- 
manding the  garrison  used  to  daily  send  down  detachments, 
which  were  drawn  up  in  line  outside  the  bungalow  in  which 
we  lived,  and  one  after  another  the  men  came  up  to  have 
the  caliper  applied  to  their  heads,  and  to  have  their  photo- 
graphs taken.  I  do  not  think  any  of  them  enjoyed  it  very 
much,  but  small  rewards  in  the  shape  of  tobacco  usually 
sent  them  away  smiling.  Although  this  work  has,  I 
believe,  proved  useful,  it  was  not  very  interesting  to  do, 
and  when  a  telegram  arrived  from  Kinshasa  informing  us 
that  the  Kasai  Company's  steamer  had  arrived  and  was  in 
readiness  to  convey  us  to  Dima,  we  quickly  packed  our 
baggage  and  started  off  to  go  on  board  her,  eager  to 
commence  our  wanderings  in  the  Kasai. 

The  Fm7tu  N'Tangu^  "The  Chief  of  the  Sun,"  an  old 
Chikongo  name  for  the  late  Herr  Greshoff,  the  Director  of 
the  Dutch  House,  is  a  stern-wheel  steamer,  capable  of 
carrying  about  fifty  tons.  Upon  her  upper  deck  she  carries 
four  very  small  cabins  and  one  rather  larger  one,  in  addition 
to  the  captain's  cabin  at  the  forward  end  of  the  deck. 
On  the  lower  deck,  which,  when  the  steamer  is  loaded,  is  but 
a  very  few  inches  above  the  water,  are  the  engines  and  a 
cabin  for  the  engineer.  Above  the  upper  deck  is  a  good 
roof  of  planks,  rendering  the  use  of  a  topee  unnecessary 
even  in  the  heat  of  the  day.  The  Fumu  N'Tangu  draws 
very  little  water,  as  parts  of  the  Kasai  abound  in  shallows 
during  the  dry  season.  We  left  Kinshasa  at  six  o'clock  on 
a  glorious  November  morning,  and  headed  northwards 
across  the  Pool,  the  course  for  steamers  lying  close  along 


FROM   THE    COAST   TO   THE    SANKURU    15 

the  French  shore.  Owing  to  the  large  wooded  island 
known  as  Bomu,  and  to  the  presence  of  numerous  grassy 
islets  and  sandbanks,  one  could  get  no  real  view  of  Stanley 
Pool  from  the  deck  of  the  steamer ;  indeed  it  is  only  as  one 
approaches  the  point  where  the  Congo  enters  it  that  one 
gets  any  idea  of  the  width  of  the  Pool,  and  even  here,  as 
one  looks  to  the  southward,  one  does  not  see  this  beautiful 
stretch  of  water  at  its  greatest  width.  From  north  to  south 
the  greatest  width  is  about  sixteen  miles,  and  the  length  of 
the  Pool  from  east  to  west  about  seventeen.  In  the  old 
days  the  island  of  Bomu  was  a  noted  haunt  of  buffaloes, 
elephants,  and  numerous  herds  of  hippopotami,  but  the 
guns  of  the  Bateke,  who  shot  these  animals  as  food  for  the 
white  men  and  the  garrison,  have  long  since  exterminated 
them,  and  save  for  some  crocodiles,  and  I  believe  an 
occasional  hippopotamus,  the  only  inhabitants  of  the  island 
and  the  sandbanks  around  it  are  numerous  eagles  and  water- 
fowl. On  a  calm  day  the  waters  of  Stanley  Pool  are 
extremely  glassy,  notwithstanding  the  strong  stream  which 
flows  through  it  towards  the  cataracts  to  the  west ;  but  the 
sudden  storms,  locally  dignified  with  the  name  of  tornado, 
which  are  so  frequent  in  the  rainy  season,  completely 
change  the  aspect  of  the  Pool,  and  not  infrequently  canoes 
which  are  overtaken  by  them  some  distance  from  the 
shelter  of  land  have  the  greatest  difficulty  in  reaching  a 
place  of  safety.  The  width  of  the  Congo  where  it  flows 
into  Stanley  Pool,  through  a  break  in  a  chain  of  hills  some 
700  feet  high,  is  about  one  mile,  and  as  one  approaches 
this  point  the  north  shore  of  the  Pool  rises  abruptly  from 
the  water's  edge  in  the  form  of  white  cliffs  tinged  with 


1 6      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

red ;  these  are  still  known  as  Dover  Cliffs,  the  name  given 
to  them  by  Stanley  upon  his  first  descent  of  the  Congo. 
From  Stanley  Pool  to  the  mouth  of  the  Kasai  the  Congo 
is  known  as  the  Channel.  In  this  part  of  the  river  there 
are  practically  no  islands  or  sandbanks,  for  the  stream  runs 
in  a  comparatively  narrow  valley,  and  is  deep ;  in  fact  many 
captains  of  river  steamers  will  continue  their  run  at  night 
in  the  channel,  a  thing  which  would  be  impossible  among 
the  shallows  and  sandbanks  of  the  Kasai.  The  average 
width  of  the  Congo  channel  is,  I  believe,  something  just 
under  a  mile.  At  first,  as  one  proceeds  up  the  river,  its 
course  is  bordered  on  either  hand  by  wooded  hills  rising 
abruptly  from  the  water's  edge.  These  hills  are  rarely,  if 
ever,  more  than  six  or  seven  hundred  feet  high,  and  upon 
the  summits  of  them  the  forest  gives  way  to  open  meadow 
land  or  tree-studded  bush  ;  but  as  one  nears  the  mouth  of 
the  Kasai,  the  hills  upon  the  left  bank  of  the  Congo 
gradually  decrease  in  height  until  just  before  arriving  at 
Kwamouth,  the  post  at  the  confluence  of  the  Kasai  and 
the  Congo,  the  river  is  running  through  grassy  plains 
dotted  here  and  there  with  stunted  trees.  With  the 
exception  of  a  fair  number  of  white-headed  eagles,  we  did 
not  see  much  of  bird  life  in  this  part  of  the  river,  the 
absence  of  sandbanks  and  islands  accounting  for  the  absence 
of  the  great  masses  of  wild-fowl  which  we  were  to  see 
later  in  the  Kasai.  The  captain  of  our  ship  upon  his  last 
voyage  had  seen  some  elephants  upon  the  shores  of  the 
channel,  and  one  evening  when  we  were  moored  against  the 
French  shore,  a  native  from  the  coast  who  was  in  charge  of 
the  fuel  supply  there  told   us   tales   of  a  wonderful   lake 


FROM   THE   COAST   TO   THE   SANKURU     17 

some  distance  to  the  northward  where  elephants  are  still  to 
be  seen  in  countless  herds.  We  also  met  a  Frenchman  who 
had  gone  to  the  expense  of  purchasing  a  rifle  especially  for 
elephant  shooting,  so  we  took  it  that  these  animals  must  be 
fairly  common  within  easy  reach  of  the  right  bank  of  the 
channel. 

Along  the  left  bank  of  the  Congo  runs  the  telegraph 
line,  and  it  spans  the  mouth  of  the  Kasai  raised  upon  two 
iron  structures,  one  on  each  side  of  the  Kasai,  somewhat 
suggestive  of  the  Eiffel  Tower,  about  ninety  feet  in  height. 
At  the  post  of  Kwamouth  there  are  now  two  white  officials 
connected  with  the  telegraph  line,  and  it  is  to  Kwamouth 
that  one  must  send  if  one  wishes  to  despatch  a  cable  to 
Europe  when  travelling  in  the  district  of  the  Kasai. 
Formerly  there  was  a  Roman  Catholic  mission  at  Kwamouth, 
but  this  has  been  abandoned  owing  to  the  ravages  of  the 
sleeping  sickness. 

Though  the  channel  had  been  in  its  way  beautiful, 
especially  when  the  various  greens  of  the  forest  gave  place 
to  the  purple  hues  of  evening,  the  journey  up  the  lower 
Kasai  was,  to  my  mind,  far  more  enjoyable.  As  I  have  said, 
the  Congo  up  to  Kwamouth  had  but  little  to  show  in  the 
way  of  animal  life,  but  the  Kasai,  a  little  above  its  mouth, 
is  simply  teeming  with  hippopotami,  crocodiles,  and 
innumerable  varieties  of  aquatic  and  other  birds.  At  the 
confluence  with  the  Congo  the  Kasai  is  only  some  500  yards 
in  width,  but  as  one  ascends  it  the  river  becomes  broader, 
and  numerous  islands,  some  covered  with  forest,  others 
merely  clothed  in  coarse  dry  grass  or  reeds,  begin  to  appear. 
There  are  some  rocks  in  the  bed  of  the  lower  Kasai,  which 

B 


1 8      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE    KASAI 

cause  the  captains  some  little  uneasiness  in  the  dry  season 
when  the  waters  are  low  ;  in  fact  our  vessel  touched  lightly 
upon  some  of  them,  when  our  captain  took  us  hastily  to 
the  shore  to  avoid  a  tornado.  These  storms  come  up  very 
quickly  in  the  rainy  season.  One  sees  dark  masses  of  cloud 
overhanging  the  river  valley  in  the  distance,  and  one  hears 
a  far-oiF  rumble  of  thunder  ;  in  an  incredibly  short  space  of 
time  the  storm  draws  near,  and  one  sees  a  grey  mist  sweep- 
ing down  the  river  towards  one,  the  thunder  increasing 
momentarily  in  violence  until  its  peals  are  so  frequent  as  to 
be  almost  indistinguishable  one  from  another  and  to  pro- 
duce one  long-drawn  roar.  Just  before  the  mist  reaches 
one  a  violent  gust  of  wind  strikes  the  vessel,  often  suffi- 
cient to  capsize  her  should  she  not  have  been  made  fast  to 
the  bank,  and  then  the  rain,  which  has  appeared  like  mist  in 
the  distance,  comes  down  with  a  violence  seldom,  if  ever, 
seen  outside  the  tropics.  Fortunately,  these  storms  are 
usually  of  brief  duration,  and  pass  away  as  quickly  as  they 
come  ;  accidents,  however,  are  sometimes  caused  by  them  to 
the  steamers,  and  our  captain  had  knowingly  put  his  vessel 
over  the  rocks,  preferring  the  possibility  of  sinking  close  to 
the  shore  to  the  probability  of  being  capsized  in  mid-stream 
when  the  wind  struck  the  vessel. 

On  the  Congo  we  had  seen  but  few  natives  ;  in  the  Kasai 
their  canoes  were  far  more  frequently  visible  rowing  fisher- 
men to  and  from  the  sandbanks,  where  they  set  their  nets 
and  fish-traps.  Often  they  would  approach  us  holding  up 
fish  for  sale,  and  occasionally  we  stopped  to  purchase  it. 
The  purchase  of  fish  by  our  native  crew  caused  us  no  little 
amusement.     Money  has  not  yet  found  its  way  to  the  natives 


FROM   THE   COAST   TO   THE   SANKURU    19 

of  the  Kasai,  so  that  everything  had  to  be  purchased  by 
exchange.  The  hard  bargaining  which  an  ancient  piece  of 
dried  fish  can  produce  must  be  seen  to  be  believed.  Cloth, 
salt,  mitakos  {i.e.  brass  rods),  torn  shirts,  hats,  empty  bottles, 
&c.,  were  all  exchanged  for  the  fish,  and  on  one  occasion  a 
member  of  the  crew  took  off  the  trousers  he  was  wearing 
and  handed  them  over  in  exchange  for  a  particularly  choice 
morsel ! 

In  the  evenings  we  would  make  fast  to  a  grassy  island 
or  a  sandbank,  and  all  of  the  crew  would  go  ashore  to  spend 
the  night.  As  the  vessel  slowly  approaches  to  within  a  yard 
or  two  of  the  shore  a  man  springs  overboard  from  the  bows, 
carrying  a  light  anchor  if  there  are  no  trees  at  hand,  or  a 
wire  rope  if  there  is  anything  on  the  shore  to  attach  it  to, 
and  in  a  very  short  time  the  vessel  is  securely  moored  to 
the  bank  ;  the  crew  then  hasten  ashore,  carrying  with  them 
their  bedding,  and  firebrands  from  the  furnaces  (for  wood 
fuel  only  is  used)  with  which  to  cook  their  evening  meal. 
As  darkness  falls,  the  scene  on  shore  is  very  picturesque.  In 
the  background  the  tall  rank  grass  stands  motionless  in  the 
still  air  of  the  African  night,  while  the  flickering  light  of 
the  numerous  fires  plays  upon  the  small  cotton  shelters  of 
all  colours  of  the  rainbow  erected  by  the  crew  as  a  pro- 
tection against  mosquitoes.  Meantime  pots  are  on  the  fire, 
and  the  men  grouped  round  them  are  talking  in  subdued 
voices,  while  a  gurgling  sound  is  to  be  heard  as  many  tobacco 
pipes,  in  which  the  smoke  is  drawn  through  water  in  a  cala- 
bash under  the  bow,  are  passed  from  man  to  man,  and  in 
the  distance  one  hears  the  weird  grunt  of  the  hippopotamus, 
mildly  indignant  at  the  invasion  of  his  feeding-ground  by 


20      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

man.  But  if  the  evenings  are  delightful  on  a  river  steamer, 
the  days  are  no  less  so,  particularly  when  passing  through 
such  stretches  of  river  as  that  known  as  Wissman  Pool  just 
below  the  spot  where  the  Kasai  receives  on  its  left  bank  the 
waters  of  the  Kwango.  In  Wissman  Pool  the  naturalist, 
sportsman,  or  photographer  can  scarcely  allow  himself  time 
for  meals,  so  much  life  is  there  to  be  seen,  so  many  chances 
of  a  shot,  and  always  the  possibility  of  a  sufficiently  near 
approach  to  a  hippo  to  admit  of  a  snapshot  being  taken. 
To  any  one  like  myself,  whose  previous  wanderings  have 
mainly  been  in  desert  lands,  the  journey  through  Wissman 
Pool  must  be  particularly  delightful.  The  pool  is  wide, 
that  is  to  say  the  course  of  the  river  is  broken  up  into  in- 
numerable channels  between  sandbanks  and  islands,  the 
latter  covered  with  bushes,  rank  grass,  or  reeds.  The  land 
on  either  side  of  the  river  is  flat.  On  all  sides  numerous 
herds  of  hippopotami  were  in  sight,  varying  in  numbers  from 
three  or  four  to  about  fifteen.  Early  in  the  morning  and 
again  in  the  evening  they  were  to  be  seen  upon  the  islands, 
and  sometimes  even  at  midday  they  would  be  moving 
about  amid  the  grass  or  on  the  sandbanks,  while  many  times 
we  passed  close  by  them  as  they  lay  in  the  water,  their  ears, 
eyes,  and  nostrils  only  exposed,  scarcely  heeding  the 
approach  of  the  steamer.  Wissman  remarks  upon  the 
enormous  quantity  of  these  great  animals  in  this  part 
of  the  river,  and  it  is  difficult  to  believe  that  they  can  have 
decreased  materially  in  numbers  since  his  day.  Sometimes 
as  the  vessel  drew  near,  one  of  the  monsters  would  slowly 
rise  to  his  feet  in  the  shallow  water  in  which  he  had  been 
basking,   showing  for  a   moment  all   his  great  body  as  he 


Hik 


'f)-X 


WissMANN  Pool, 


FROM   THE   COAST   TO   THE   SANKURU    21 

quietly  moved  off  into  deeper  water,  in  which  he  would  dis- 
appear, to  rise  again  in  a  few  seconds  and  gaze  at  the  re- 
ceding form  of  the  steamer  with  an  air  of  mild  surprise. 
Crocodiles,  too,  were  very  numerous,  and  whenever  we 
were  within  reach  of  the  shore  I  was  always  momentarily 
expecting  to  get  a  shot  at  one  as  he  lay  asleep  with  his 
mouth  open  beside  the  water.  Torday,  too,  was  at  these 
times  ever  ready  with  his  shot-gun  to  bring  down  a  duck 
or  a  spur-winged  goose  for  the  table,  or  to  shoot  a  speci- 
men for  skinning  of  one  of  the  many  kind  of  birds  with 
which  the  islands  swarm.  Hardy,  who  does  not  shoot, 
found  plenty  of  exercise  for  his  pencil  in  making  hasty 
sketches,  to  be  worked  up  later,  of  the  inhabitants,  human 
and  otherwise,  of  the  Pool.  During  our  ascent  of  the  Kasai 
towards  Dima  we  saw  no  elephants,  but  these  animals  are 
numerous  in  that  country,  and  upon  our  return  journey  in 
1909  we  got  a  magnificent  view  of  a  herd  of  six  as  they 
slowly  retreated  from  the  water's  edge  into  the  long  grass 
at  the  approach  of  the  steamer. 

The  country  continues  to  consist  of  open  grass  land 
studded  with  trees  until  the  mouth  of  the  Kwango  is  left 
behind,  when  the  banks  become  thickly  wooded.  The 
Kwango  flows  into  the  Kasai  between  swamps  covered  with 
papyrus  and  reeds,  a  favourite  wallowing-place  for  buffalo 
during  the  fierce  heat  of  the  midday  sun.  Dima  lies  but 
eight  or  nine  miles  above  the  confluence,  upon  the  left 
bank  of  the  Kasai.  As  the  headquarters  of  the  Kasai 
Company  it  contains  the  residence  of  the  director  and  the 
general  stores,  to  which  all  trade  goods  are  brought  upon 
their  arrival  from  Europe,  and  where  they  are  sorted  before 


22      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

being  distributed  among  the  factories,  each  factory  receiving 
such  goods  as  are  most  saleable  in  its  locality.  Here,  too, 
are  the  workshops  wherein  the  steamers  of  the  company 
are  repaired.  There  is,  therefore,  always  a  fair  number 
of  European  residents  in  Dima.  The  director  has  a  couple 
of  secretaries,  the  accountant's  office  occupies  several  clerks, 
the  transport  of  the  trade  goods  requires  the  services  of  two 
or  three  white  men,  while  the  workshops  are  looked  after 
by  quite  a  staff  of  European  engineers.  In  addition  to  this, 
there  are  nearly  always  several  people  staying  temporarily 
in  Dima,  for  every  new  agent  of  the  company  goes  to 
headquarters  on  his  arrival  in  Africa  to  be  appointed  to  a 
factory,  and  every  agent  calls  at  Dima  on  his  way  home. 
The  situation  of  Dima  does  not  at  first  sight  strike  one  as 
being  particularly  desirable,  for  the  post  is  built  in  a  clear- 
ing of  the  dense  forest,  and  the  banks  of  the  river  are  by 
no  means  high  ;  but  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  an  equally 
convenient  spot  for  the  transport  of  trade  goods  and  the 
reception  of  the  rubber  and  ivory  collected  in  the  district. 
A  great  deal  of  produce  comes  from  the  basin  of  the  Kwilu 
River,  a  tributary  of  the  Kwango,  of  which  I  shall  have 
more  to  say  later  on,  so  that  it  would  take  a  considerable 
time  to  get  this  produce  far  up  the  Kasai,  where  the  current 
is  very  strong  and  the  speed  of  the  steamer  low,  should  the 
headquarters  of  the  company  be  moved  higher  up  the  river 
to  a  more  healthy  locality,  such,  for  instance,  as  Pangu,  near 
the  mouth  of  the  Lubue  River,  where  the  Kasai  Company 
has  recently  founded  a  hospital.  Dima  itself,  as  we  saw 
it  in  1909,  was  a  far  more  agreeable  post  than  when  we 
stayed   there  in  November   1907.     Upon  our  arrival   only 


FROM   THE   COAST   TO   THE   SANKURU    23 

the  houses  of  the  director  and  the  chief  engineer,  the  two 
mess-rooms,  the  accountant's  office,  and  the  stores  were  of 
brick,  but  upon  our  return  we  found  that  all  the  old  plaster 
houses,  with  their  thatched  roofs,  had  given  way  to  neat 
structures,  roofed  with  tiles,  and  built  of  locally  made 
bricks.  The  clearing,  too,  in  which  the  post  is  situated 
had  been  considerably  extended,  and  this  has  had  the  effect 
of  rendering  the  place  far  more  airy,  and  lessening  the 
oppressive  heat ;  and  better  drainage  of  the  swampy  ground 
in  the  neighbouring  forest  has  led  to  a  great  reduction  in 
the  numbers  of  the  mosquitoes,  which  were  quite  as  numer- 
ous as  we  cared  about  when  we  arrived  in  Dima.  The 
varied  kinds  of  work,  from  the  mending  of  machinery  to 
the  wheeling  of  small  barrow-loads  of  bricks,  naturally 
necessitates  the  employment  of  natives  of  many  grades  of 
civilisation.  All  the  native  clerks  and  most  of  the 
mechanics  and  carpenters  come  from  the  coast,  the 
majority  of  them  from  Sierra  Leone,  Lagos,  or  Accra. 
These  gentlemen  are  very  far  up  in  the  social  scale,  and 
their  costumes  on  Sunday  are,  as  a  rule,  neat  and  in  good 
taste.  Next  in  magnificence  to  them  come  the  civilised 
Congo  natives,  not  infrequently  retired  soldiers  who  have 
attained  the  rank  of  sergeant  or  corporal ;  the  costumes  of 
these,  though  very  spotless  on  the  Sabbath,  will  sometimes 
be  marred  by  the  presence  of  some  incongruous  article,  such, 
for  example,  as  a  long  drooping  feather  in  the  side  of  a 
straw  hat.  These  people  are  usually  employed  as  head- 
men in  charge  of  a  certain  number  of  labourers.  Then 
come  the  "  boys,"  or  white  men's  personal  servants,  and 
the  "  civilised  "  workmen  who  have  received  some  teaching 


24      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

at  a  mission.  The  appearance  of  such  people  when  attired 
in  their  best  is  strongly  suggestive  of  a  rainbow,  and  the 
various  garments  which  compose  their  costumes  are  just 
those  which  would  not  be  worn  at  the  same  time  by  any 
but  an  African  negro  whose  "  civilisation  "  has  just  brought 
him  to  the  wearing  of  trousers  and  whose  wage  will  allow 
him  to  indulge  the  savage's  craving  for  brilliant  colours. 
The  fourth  class  of  native  employee  at  Dima  is  composed 
of  the  man  who  has  recently  joined  the  company's  services 
and  adheres  to  the  loin-cloth,  and  the  little  boy  who,  by 
no  means  overdressed,  is  commencing  his  career  by  wheeling 
small  barrow-loads  of  earth  to  the  brick-makers.  Nearly, 
if  not  quite  all  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  workmen's  village 
in  Dima  profess  some  form  of  Christianity.  The  majority 
of  the  Kasai  district  natives  working  there  come  from  the 
Sankuru  or  upper  Kasai,  originating  from  the  country 
around  the  Lusambo  and  Luebo.  When  an  agent  from 
up  the  river  is  told  to  enlist  a  certain  number  of  men  for 
service  at  Dima,  he  naturally  does  not  suggest  to  his  best 
and  most  willing  workmen  that  they  should  go;  he  tries 
to  get  rid  of  the  worst  men  he  has  got,  therefore  one  finds 
at  Dima  representatives  of  many  different  tribes,  often  men 
who  have  made  their  villages  too  hot  to  hold  them,  and  have 
thus  been  obliged  to  earn  a  livelihood  as  workmen  in  one  of 
the  company's  factories,  from  which  they  have  been  drafted 
as  undesirable.  Thus  the  vices  of  many  tribes  are  to  be 
found  among  the  native  inhabitants  of  Dima  and  the  virtues 
of  but  few.  This  it  appears  is  specially  the  case  among  the 
"  boys  "  who  offer  themselves  for  service  to  the  new-comer 
from  Europe.     Some  of  these  have  very  likely  been  dis- 


FROM    THE    COAST   TO   THE   SANKURU    25 

missed  for  theft,  idleness,  or  general  incompetence,  and  are 
working  at  Dima  until  they  can  get  another  job ;  others, 
good  enough  boys  in  the  bush,  have  been  left  at  Dima  when 
their  masters  have  gone  home,  and  have  preferred  to  stay 
there  in  the  hope  of  finding  another  employer  to  returning 
to  their  native  villages,  for  which  they  have  often  conceived 
a  feeling  of  contempt.  These  latter  have  usually  suffered 
by  contact  with  the  low-class  workman  referred  to  above, 
and  it  is  a  very  risky  thing  to  engage  one  of  them  as  a 
servant  for  the  journey  up  country.  We  took  no  servants 
from  Dima,  though  many  such  offered  themselves,  but  were 
content  with  two  boys  who  had  come  with  us  until  we 
could  get  some  absolutely  uncivilised  and  unspoilt  youths 
whom  we  could  train  ourselves.  At  the  time  of  our  arrival 
in  Dima  the  workmen  from  the  coast  received  their  pay  in 
Congolese  coin,  but  the  natives  were  paid  in  trade  goods, 
money  being  as  yet  without  value  in  the  district.  An 
attempt  to  introduce  coin  is  being  made  now  in  two  or  three 
of  the  larger  centres  of  the  Kasai  district,  such  as  Lusambo 
and,  I  believe,  Luebo,  and  the  Kasai  Company  now  pays  all 
its  people  in  Dima  in  money ;  the  company's  stores  being 
open  daily  to  supply  the  workmen  with  such  articles  for 
exchange  with  the  local  natives  as  they  may  wish  to  buy. 
The  large  number  of  people  permanently  resident  in  Dima 
necessitates  the  importation  of  a  considerable  quantity  ot 
food -stuffs  from  a  distance,  the  local  Baboma  not  producing 
sufficient  to  supply  the  post ;  every  ten  days,  therefore,  a 
steamer  ascends  the  Kwilu  as  far  as  the  post  of  Kikwit  with 
trade  goods  for  the  factories  on  that  river,  and  returns 
laden  with  manioc  flour,  maize,  plantains,  live  chickens,  and 


26      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE    KASAI 

goats  from  that  land  of  plenty,  the  country  near  Luano, 
There  is  a  farm  a  mile  or  two  east  of  Dima  which  produces 
some  vegetables,  and  where  a  few  cows  and  a  small  flock  of 
sheep  are  kept  under  the  superintendence  of  a  European 
farmer ;  as  yet,  however,  it  is  rather  an  experiment  to 
ascertain  what  can  be  grown  and  reared  in  the  neighbour- 
hood than  an  attempt  to  supply  Dima  with  the  necessaries 
of  life.  Should  it  ever  be  able  to  provide  all  that  Dima 
wants,  the  agricultural  people  of  the  Kwilu  will  lose  a  very 
considerable  trade. 

A  certain  amount  of  sport  is  to  be  obtained  near  Dima  ; 
in  1907  I  shot  a  harnessed  bush-buck  in  a  small  clearing  in 
the  forest  less  than  half-an-hour's  walk  from  the  post,  while 
in  January  1909  I  saw  an  elephant's  spoor  very  little  further 
away,  and  spent  a  day  hunting  buffalo  without  success  in 
the  papyrus  swamps  towards  the  mouth  of  the  Kwango. 
The  animals  were  in  the  swamps  right  enough,  but  I  made 
too  much  noise  v/ading  and  slipping  about  upon  the 
papyrus  trampled  down  by  the  buffalo  to  get  a  shot. 
These  swamps  were  alive  with  mosquitoes,  and  altogether 
were  by  no  means  an  ideal  hunting-ground.  At  one  time 
a  native  hunter  was  employed  to  shoot  buffalo  for  the 
white  men's  mess,  but  this  seems  to  have  caused  very  little 
reduction  in  their  numbers. 

Of  our  doings  at  Dima  there  is  little  to  tell ;  we  were 
anxious  to  get  to  work  on  the  Sankuru  River,  but  were 
compelled  to  await  the  arrival  of  our  provisions  from  the 
coast.  In  the  meantime  Torday  put  in  a  little  ethno- 
graphical work  among  the  Baboma,  purchased  a  number  of 
articles  of  their  manufacture,  and,  making  as  many  inquiries 


FROM   THE   COAST   TO   THE   SANKURU    27 

as  possible  among  the  white  men  as  to  the  conditions  pre- 
vailing in  the  country  we  proposed  to  visit,  he  formed  his 
plans  definitely  for  the  first  six  months  or  so  of  our  journey. 
We  were  to  proceed  up  the  Kasai  and  Sankuru  rivers  as  far 
as  Batempa,  a  little  above  Lusambo,  whence  we  were  to  go 
further  inland  to  the  Lubefu  River,  there  to  study  a  portion 
of  the  Batetela  tribe.  After  this  we  were  to  descend  the 
Sankuru  and  visit  the  Bushongo  people,  commonly  but 
erroneously  termed  the  Bakuba,  who  bade  fair  to  prove  of 
exceptional  interest,  to  judge  by  several  magnificent  pieces 
of  their  wood-carving  which  we  saw  in  Dima, 

This  work,  we  anticipated,  would  occupy  us  about  six 
months,  at  the  end  of  which  time  Hardy  was  to  leave  us  for 
England.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  study  of  the  Batetela  on 
the  Lubefu  led  us  to  continue  our  work  amongr  the  sub- 
tribes  of  that  people  in  the  equatorial  forest  after  Hardy 
had  departed,  and  the  success  which  attended  Torday's 
work  among  the  eastern  Bushongo  induced  him  to  visit  the 
capital  of  their  king,  so  that  our  stay  in  the  region  of  the 
Sankuru  was  extended  to  fourteen  months  instead  of  the  six 
in  which  we  had  expected  to  complete  our  work. 

We  heard  in  Dima  that  there  lived  near  the  Kasai 
Company's  factory  of  Mokunji,  close  to  the  Lubefu  River, 
a  deposed  Batetela  chief,  who  was  a  remarkably  intelligent 
native  and  very  well  disposed  towards  the  European.  In  the 
hope  of  obtaining  some  valuable  information  from  this  man, 
Torday  decided  to  proceed  to  Mokunji  as  directly  as  possible. 

We  left  Dima  early  in  the  morning  of  December  2, 
1907,  on  board  the  Kasai  Company's  steamer  Velde.  This 
little  vessel  contained  accommodation  for  no  one  excepting 


28      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

her  captain  and  European  engineer,  so  that  we  were  obliged 
to  pitch  our  tents  every  evening  upon  the  river  bank  or 
upon  an  island.  This  necessitated  the  captain  terminating 
his  day's  run  sufficiently  early  to  enable  us  to  encamp  by 
daylight,  and  also  considerably  delayed  the  steamer's  start 
in  the  mornings.  The  voyage,  therefore,  occupied  more 
time  than  is  usually  taken  over  the  journey  to  Batempa,and 
it  was  only  upon  the  twenty-third  day  after  our  start  from 
Dima  that  we  reached  the  end  of  our  voyage.  The  upper 
deck  of  the  Velde  was  very  small,  there  being  only  just 
sufficient  room  for  the  five  of  us  to  sit  around  a  table  for 
meals,  so  that  our  journey  cannot  be  said  to  have  been  a 
very  luxurious  one,  but  the  glorious  river  scenery  and  the 
numberless  interesting  sights  which  nature  had  to  offer  in 
the  way  of  birds  and  beasts  combined  to  make  the  voyage 
pleasant.  Just  above  Dhna  the  Kasai  is  only  about  half  a 
mile  in  width  and  very  deep,  with  a  strong  current.  Further 
on,  however,  between  the  factory  of  Eolo  and  the  Govern- 
ment post  of  Basongo,  near  the  confluence  of  the  Kasai  and 
the  Sankuru,  the  river  often  attains  a  width  of  fully  three 
miles,  and  its  course  is  much  broken  by  sandbanks  and 
islands,  its  depth  being  reduced  in  proportion  to  the  greater 
width  of  its  bed.  Although  the  shores  of  the  river  are 
usually  clothed  in  forest,  undulating  grassy  downs  are  to  be 
seen  behind  the  belt  of  woodland  that  borders  the  stream, 
and  only  after  entering  the  Sankuru  does  one  reach  a  real 
forest  country.  Upon  its  right  bank  the  Kasai  receives  no 
tributaries  of  any  importance,  for  the  Lukenye  River  flows 
parallel  to  it  into  Lac  Leopold  II.,  about  fifty  miles  to  the 
north;  but  upon  its  left  or  southern  bank  it  receives  the  waters 


¥. 


^' 


v^t 


FROM   THE    COAST   TO   THE   SANKURU    29 

of  the  Kancha,  Lubue,and  Loange  rivers,  rising  in  the  uplands 
of  the  Congo-Angola  frontier,  as  well  as  numerous  small 
streams.  There  is  a  Kasai  Company's  factory  at  Eolo,  and 
some  plantations  of  rubber  belonging  to  the  Societe  Anonyme 
Beige  at  a  spot  called  Mangay,  about  fifty  miles  farther  up 
the  river,  also  on  its  left  bank.  At  the  mouth  of  the  Lubue 
there  is  a  factory  of  the  Kasai  Company,  whence  communi- 
cation is  kept  open  by  means  of  a  whale-boat  with  the 
company's  post  of  Dumba  on  the  Lubue,  which  we  visited 
during  the  last  part  of  our  journey.  The  company  has  re- 
cently founded  a  hospital  for  its  white  and  native  employees 
on  the  high  bank  of  the  Kasai  near  the  mouth  of  the  Lubue, 
but  the  building  of  this  post  had  not  been  commenced  at 
the  end  of  1907.  The  only  Government  station  on  the 
Kasai  is  the  post  of  Basongo.  We  spent  one  night  here, 
and  were  told  by  Lieutenant  Le  Grand  that  the  Bashilele 
people  who  inhabited  the  country  to  the  south  of  his  post 
were  a  most  warlike  and  hostile  people ;  indeed  he  gave  us 
a  number  of  arrov/s  which  had  been  shot  at  him  and  his 
soldiers  during  a  few  days'  journey  he  had  just  undertaken 
in  the  interior.  We  v/ere  to  make  acquaintance  ourselves 
later  on  with  the  Bashilele,  as  my  narrative  will  show. 

During  our  journey  up  the  Kasai  the  captain  of  the  Velde 
told  us  that  about  the  year  1904  or  1905  a  very  deadly 
epidemic  had  broken  out  among  the  hippopotami  of  that 
river  and  the  Sankuru.  So  great  had  been  the  mortality 
among  the  animals  (which  even  now  exist  in  the  middle 
Kasai  in  almost  as  great  numbers  as  in  Wissman  Pool)  that 
the  factories  on  the  bank  had  been  obliged  to  employ  men 
with  canoes  to  push  out  into  the  current  the  carcases  which 


30      LAND   AND    PEOPLES   OF   THE    KASAI 

had  lodged  on  the  shore  close  at  hand,  the  stench  from 
which,  as  they  began  to  decay,  had  been  appalHng.  I  could 
gather  no  information  as  to  the  nature  of  this  disease. 

When  we  entered  the  Sankuru  the  river  banks  became 
more  densely  wooded,  and  the  patches  of  open  grass  land 
visible  in  the  background  rarer  and  more  rare.  The  river 
is  narrower  than  the  Kasai,  seldom  exceeding  about  a  mile 
in  width,  and  the  foliage  on  the  banks  rises  abruptly  from 
the  water's  edge,  forming  solid  walls  of  luxuriant  vegetation. 
This  kind  of  scenery,  although  undoubtedly  beautiful,  is  very 
apt  to  become  monotonous,  so  that  we  were  always  glad 
when  a  call  at  one  of  the  factories,  of  which  there  are  about 
eight  below  Lusambo,  broke  the  dulness  of  a  voyage  through 
the  forest.  Of  course  there  was  always  plenty  to  look  at ; 
for,  in  addition  to  animal  life,  canoes  of  native  fishermen 
were  ever  to  be  seen  darting  in  and  out  of  the  almost 
invisible  openings  in  the  vegetation,  making  the  entrance 
to  the  little  harbours  where  are  kept  the  canoes  of  the 
villages,  v/hich  as  a  rule  are  situated  some  little  way  inland. 
But  we  were  eager  to  begin  our  work  in  earnest,  and  natur- 
ally chafed  at  our  enforced  inactivity  upon  the  steamer.  In 
addition  to  the  delay  of  which  the  pitching  and  striking  of 
our  camp  was  the  cause,  our  progress  was  retarded  by  the 
lack  of  prepared  fuel  on  the  banks.  Wood  only  is  burned 
on  the  steamers,  and  the  Kasai  Company  has  established 
posts  all  along  the  river,  at  each  of  which  about  half-a-dozen 
natives  are  employed  in  felling  trees  and  cutting  the  wood 
into  suitable  lengths  for  the  furnaces  of  the  vessels.  As 
these  men  are  under  no  supervision  they  by  no  means 
overwork  themselves,  with  the  result  that  one  often  finds 


FROM   THE   COAST   TO   THE   SANKURU    31 

very  little  wood  ready  when  the  steamer  calls  ;  consequently 
the  voyage  has  frequently  to  be  interrupted  while  the  crew 
cut  wood  in  the  forest  or  on  the  shore.  We  were,  I  believe, 
exceptionally  unlucky  in  finding  so  little  wood  prepared,  and 
our  stoppages  were  therefore  more  frequent  than  is  usual. 
We  paid  a  brief  visit  to  the  English  mission  at  Inkongu, 
a  few  miles  below  Lusambo,  Vv'here  Mr.  Westcott  is  doing 
a  very  good  work,  strictly  undenominational,  among  the 
natives,  and  at  Lusambo  itself,  the  centre  of  government  of 
the  district  of  Lualaba-Kasai.  We  found  that  Commandant 
Gustin,  the  commissioner,  was  absent  upon  a  tour  of 
inspection,  but  we  were  received  by  the  deputy-commis- 
sioner, Commandant  Saut.  On  hearing  that  our  destination 
was  the  Lubefu  River,  this  gentleman  informed  us  that  he 
was  expecting  a  caravan  to  arrive  with  rubber  from  that 
river,  and  that  he  had  no  doubt  the  men  would  be  glad  to 
earn  an  additional  wage  instead  of  returning  without  loads 
to  their  homes.  He  therefore  promised  to  send  them  on 
to  us  at  Batempa,  where  we  agreed  to  await  their  arrival. 

Just  as  our  steamer  was  leaving  we  received  a  message 
from  the  magistrate  who  resides  at  Lusambo,  strongly 
advising  us  to  abandon  our  journey  to  Mokunji,  for  he  had 
heard  that  there  was  considerable  unrest  and  anti-European 
feeling  among  the  Batetela  villages  that  lay  upon  the  road, 
and  he  was  of  the  opinion  that  we  should  not  reach  the 
Lubefu  without  being  attacked.  We  thanked  the  magis- 
trate for  his  friendly  warning,  but  we  had  come  too  far  to 
abandon  our  journey  at  the  first  rumour  of  trouble,  and  we 
continued  our  voyage  to  Ikoka,  a  factory  between  Lusambo 
and  Batempa,  fully  determined  to  try  our  best  to  reach  our 
destination,  Mokunji. 


CHAPTER    II 

IN   THE    BATETELA   COUNTRY 

Our  ill-fortune  in  the  matter  of  fuel  followed  us  to  the  end 
of  the  voyage,  for  we  were  compelled  to  stop  and  cut  wood 
in  the  forest  during  the  run  from  Ikoka  to  Batempa,  which 
under  ordinary  circumstances  should  occupy  about  four 
hours.  The  scenery  between  Ikoka  and  Batempa  is  excep- 
tionally fine.  The  left  bank  of  the  Sankuru  is  flat  and 
swampy,  clothed  with  the  impenetrable  forest  which  is  so 
prominent  a  feature  in  African  river  scenery,  whose  tangled 
masses  of  luxuriant  vegetation  overhang  the  swiftly  rushing 
stream  ;  but  on  the  right  bank  red  rocky  cliffs  rise  sheer 
from  the  water's  edge  to  a  height  of  some  300  feet,  the 
nesting-place  of  innumerable  grey  parrots,  the  ruddy  colour- 
ing of  the  rocks  providing  a  striking  contrast  to  the  varied 
greens  of  the  forest  which  clothe  their  summits.  The  Kasai 
Company's  factory  at  Batempa  is  situated  on  the  right  bank 
a  few  hundred  yards  up-stream  from  the  commencement 
of  these  cliffs,  and  the  view  down-river  from  the  post  is  one 
of  the  finest  on  the  Sankuru,  We  arrived  at  Batempa  on 
the  morning  of  December  24th.  We  had  just  got  our  baggage 
conveyed  from  the  Velde  to  the  shore,  and  the  company's 
agent  was  showing  us  a  suitable  position  for  our  camp,  when 
a  tornado,  which  had  been  threatening  all  the  morning, 
suddenly  broke  with  characteristic  violence  and  soaked  our 


IN  THE  BATETELA  COUNTRY     33 

various  loads  long  before  there  was  time  to  remove  them 
to  the  shelter  of  a  rubber  drying-house,  the  water  rushing 
down  from  the  rising  ground  to  the  west  of  the  factory  in 
streams  several  inches  deep,  completely  inundating  the 
ground  whereon  our  baggage  had  been  deposited.  Like 
most  of  these  tropical  storms,  however,  the  tornado  was  of 
brief  duration,  and  excepting  that  we  had  to  sleep  that  night 
in  wet  tents  pitched  in  a  puddle  little  harm  was  done. 
Since  our  visit  to  Batempa  the  factory  has  been  removed  to 
higher  ground,  where  the  rains  can  work  less  havoc,  and 
whence  an  even  finer  view  of  the  river  is  obtainable.  The 
day  following  our  arrival  was  Christmas  Day,  which  we 
celebrated  as  well  as  circumstances  would  permit  with  the 
company's  agent.  A  sheep,  purchased  at  Ikoka  (which,  by 
the  way,  is  considered  a  rare  luxury  in  most  parts  of  the 
Kasai),  some  chickens,  a  plum-pudding  from  the  Army  and 
Navy  Stores,  and  a  chocolate  cake,  in  the  art  of  making 
which  Torday  is  a  past  master,  accompanied  by  a  bottle  of 
champagne  from  our  limited  supply  of  medical  comforts, 
constituted  the  feast  to  which  our  appetites,  as  yet  un- 
impaired by  contact  with  the  Congo  climate,  did  ample 
justice  ;  and  in  place  of  the  old-time  ghost  stories  in  the 
evening  we  first  heard  of  the  existence  of  what  promised  to 
be  a  truly  remarkable  animal.  As  we  sat  smoking  after 
dinner  on  the  verandah  of  the  agent's  bungalow,  admiring 
the  wonderful  effects  of  the  moonlight  over  the  Sankuru 
and  listening  to  the  music  of  Torday's  phonograph,  a  weird 
cry  echoed  through  the  forest  close  behind  the  factory.  We 
were  all  attention  in  a  moment ;  neither  of  us  had  heard  the 

like  before. 

c 


34      LAND   AND    PEOPLES   OF   THE    KASAI 

The  noise  was  quite  distinctive,  "  Ow-wa,"  repeated 
three  or  four  times,  and  then  silence.  We  questioned  the 
agent,  and  he  informed  us  that  the  cry  proceeded  from  a 
small  animal  which  was  fairly  common  in  the  neighbour- 
hood, but  which  he  himself  had  never  seen.  He  told  us 
that  it  was  held  in  considerable  awe  by  the  natives,  and  that 
a  former  director  of  the  Kasai  Company  had  offered  a  very 
large  price  for  a  living  specimen  without  being  able  to 
induce  the  people  to  attempt  its  capture. 

We  at  once  summoned  a  member  of  the  local  Basonge 
tribe  who  was  employed  in  the  factory,  and  from  him  we 
elicited  the  following  astounding  information.  The  animal 
is  known  to  the  Basonge  as  the  bembe,  and  to  the  Batetela  as 
the  yuka  ;  it  is  grey  in  colour,  and  is  about  the  size  of  a 
fox-terrier  dog ;  it  lives  in  holes  in  the  trees,  and  although 
its  movements  on  the  ground  are  slow,  it  moves  in  the 
tree-tops  with  great  agility,  always  climbing  vjith  its  back  to 
the  branch  !  Its  hindquarters  are  hairless,  its  legs  long,  and 
it  walks  upon  its  wrists  !  It  is  a  dangerous  beast  to  inter- 
fere with,  although  our  informant  could  not  tell  us  exactly 
what  it  would  do  to  any  one  who  was  rash  enough  to 
interfere  with  it.  Obviously  we  had  come  across  a  truly 
remarkable  creature  !  Needless  to  say,  we  were  most 
anxious  to  secure  a  specimen,  living  or  dead,  of  this  won- 
derful animal,  so  Torday  promised  a  large  reward  of  trade 
goods  to  any  one  who  would  capture  one,  and  I  took  many 
a  ramble  with  my  gun  in  the  forest  by  night  in  the  hope 
that  I  might  see  the  form  of  the  "yuka"  silhouetted 
against  the  sky  as  he  emerged  from  his  resting-place  to 
feed.     The  creature,  it  is  said,  always  emits  its  strange  cry 


IN  THE  BATETELA  COUNTRY     35 

when  starting  out  in  search  of  food,  and  again  when  return- 
ing after  its  meal,  but  if  disturbed  it  at  once  becomes  silent, 
and  resting  absolutely  motionless  among  the  branches  (after 
the  manner  of  monkeys  when  hunted),  it  is  almost  indis- 
tinguishable even  by  daylight.  Needless  to  say,  my  nightly 
peregrinations  in  search  of  the  animal  resulted  in  nothing 
but  scratches  and  discomfort  to  myself,  and  when  we  left 
Batempa  the  yuka  remained  as  much  a  mystery  as  the 
night  when  we  first  heard  its  voice.  We  were,  however,  so 
thoroughly  interested  in  it  that  we  were  determined  to  leave 
no  stone  unturned  during  our  stay  in  the  district  to  obtain 
a  specimen  for  the  Zoo  or  for  the  Museum. 

Before  our  porters  arrived,  and  thus  enabled  us  to  start 
for  the  Lubefu  River,  we  witnessed  a  very  picturesque  dance 
in  the  factory  of  Batempa.  The  local  Basonge  chief,  having 
heard  of  our  presence  and  of  our  desire  to  purchase  articles 
of  native  manufacture,  came  in  one  morning  bringing  a  large 
number  of  interesting  objects  for  sale,  and  accompanied  by 
his  professional  dancers  and  orchestra.  During  our  wander- 
ings in  the  Kasai  we  never  heard  better  native  music  than 
that  produced  by  this  Basonge  band.  The  Bambala  of  the 
Kwilu  River  and  the  Babunda  of  the  Kancha  (peoples 
of  whom  I  shall  have  something  to  say  later  on)  are 
undoubtedly  superior  as  singers  to  the  Basonge,  but  as 
instrumental  musicians  the  latter  are  unrivalled  in  the  dis- 
tricts we  visited.  The  orchestra  was  composed  of  a  number 
of  drums,  wooden  gongs,  flutes,  and  a  xylophone.  The 
first  two  of  these  might  well  have  been  left  out,  but  they 
are  so  common  in  Africa  that  one's  ears  become  quite 
hardened   to  their  deafening  and   monotonous   din.      The 


^^6      LAND   AND    PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

remarkable  point  about  the  orchestra  was  the  flute-playing. 
Each  instrument  is  capable  of  producing  one  note  only,  but 
a  large  number  of  performers  played  upon  them,   and  so 
exactly  did  they  keep  time  and  come  in  at  the  right  moment 
that  the   melody  produced  was  extremely  pleasing  to  the 
European  ear,  and  quite  different  to  the  hubbub  with  which 
African  dances  are  usually  accompanied.     The  leader  of  the 
orchestra,  no  small  personage  in  the  village,  played  a  large 
xylophone  in  which  wooden  keys  of  different   thicknesses 
placed   above   calabashes,   varying    in   size   to   produce   the 
different   notes,  were  struck  with  wooden  hammers.      The 
dancers  performed  to  the  strains  of  the  band.    A  peculiarity 
of  the  Basonge  people  is  the  existence  of  a  regularly  trained 
and  paid  corps  of  dancers.     These  consist  for  the  most  part 
of  small  girls,  aged  from  about  eight  to  ten  years,  attired  in 
spotless  loin-cloths  of  European  cotton-stufF,  and   covered 
with  many  strings  of  coloured   beads.      These  little  ladies 
move  slowly  in  Indian  file,  making  S-like  curves  in  their 
course  around  the  band  in  the  mazes  of  a  dance  which,  if 
not  graceful  in  itself,  presents  a  very  picturesque  spectacle 
as  performed  by  the  children.     A  large  number  of  the  men 
who  accompanied  the  chief  also  took  part  in  the  dance,  but 
the   performance   of  the    little    girls   was   undoubtedly   the 
principal  feature.      Music  and  dancing  are  the  arts  in  which 
the  Basonge  chiefly  excel,  and  we  were  unable  to  find  any 
traces  of  the  carver's  art  to  compare  with  the  specimens  we 
were  later  to  secure  among  the  Bushongo.     The  Basonge, 
however,     manufacture    some    very    neat    and     ornamental 
basket-work. 

It  may  seem  rather  extraordinary  that  a  tribe  which  is 


'I'm.  I  KAiiKK  oFj,  riii:   Hasonck  (ikciif.stra. 


ThK    SANKURU    MiAK    BaTKMI'A. 


IN  THE  BATETELA  COUNTRY     Z7 

so  far  ahead  of  its  neighbours  in  the  gentle  arts  referred  to 
above  should  be  strongly  addicted  to  cannibalism  ;  yet  such 
is  the  case.  At  the  present  day,  when  the  European  is 
firmly  established  in  their  country  and  the  centre  of  govern- 
ment of  the  district  lies  on  their  frontier,  the  practice  of 
eating  human  flesh  has  practically  died  out,  but  a  few  years 
ago  it  was  very  prevalent,  and  doubtless  many  instances  of 
it  occur  to-day  unbeknown  to  any  one  save  the  inhabitants 
of  the  villages  in  which  they  take  place. 

The  Basonge  exhibit  many  other  signs  of  their  contact 
with  the  white  man  besides  the  decline  of  their  cannibalistic 
habits.  Native-made  cloth  is  no  longer  worn  among  them, 
its  place  having  been  entirely  taken  by  the  cheap  cotton 
goods  from  Europe  which  form  the  present  currency  in  the 
country,  and  which  have  quite  superseded  the  former  com- 
modities used  in  exchange  by  the  natives.  In  years  gone  by 
hoe-blades  were  largely  used  for  bartering  purposes,  and 
even  now  hoe-blades  imported  from  Europe  are  readily 
accepted  in  exchange  for  food-stuffs  and  other  local  produce, 
although  their  value  has  fallen  considerably  since  the  time 
when  a  man  used  to  pay  from  ten  to  thirty  blades  for  a  wife, 
when  four  of  these  useful  articles  would  buy  a  goat,  and 
when  the  price  of  a  male  slave  would  not  usually  exceed 
twenty.  The  old-time  hard  wooden  spears  and  bows  and 
arrows  have  largely  given  place  to  cheap  trade  guns,  and  in 
many  other  ways  the  Basonge  are  exhibiting  signs  of  that 
change  which  must  assuredly  come  over  native  life  when 
once  the  European  has  firmly  set  foot  in  the  country. 

At  Batempa  we  engaged  a  cook  and  three  "  boys."  My 
henchman,   engaged   on  Stanley  Pool,  had   returned   down 


38      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

the  river  in  the  Velde  on  his  way  back  to  Leopoldville, 
where  he  could  indulge  his  propensities  for  idling  to  the 
fullest  extent,  so  we  were  left  with  Jones  as  the  sole 
native  member  of  our  party.  We  decided  to  employ  as 
personal  servants  quite  young  boys  who  had  never  pre- 
viously been  in  the  service  of  a  European,  and  allow  Jones 
to  teach  them  their  duties.  I  think  it  is  far  more  satis- 
factory as  a  rule,  when  a  long  stay  is  to  be  made  in  Africa, 
for  the  European  to  engage  as  his  "  boy  "  a  young,  intelli-  \ 
gent  savage,  and  "  break  him  in "  himself  than  to  take 
over  some  one  else's  servant.  The  negro  when  a  child  is 
extremely  quick  at  learning  anything  which  interests  him, 
and  the  newly  acquired  dignity  of  becoming  a  white  man's 
"boy"  is  quite  sufficient  to  give  the  lad  an  interest  in  his 
work.  If  one  has  another  European's  cast-ofF  "boy"  one 
finds  that  he  has  usually  learned  bad  habits  from  long 
intercourse  with  the  semi-civilised  natives  of  the  factory 
or  Government  post,  and  also  it  will  take  him  a  long  time 
to  unlearn  the  ways  to  which  his  late  master  has  accustomed 
him  and  become  used  to  those  of  his  new  employer.  On 
the  whole,  therefore,  I  think  it  is  best  for  the  white  man, 
whenever  possible,  to  train  his  own  boy,  and  the  result 
will  almost  surely  be  that  he  will  get  exactly  the  servant 
that  he  deserves.  Treat  your  boy  well  and  he  will  repay 
you  with  faithful  service ;  keep  him  in  his  place  or  he 
will  presume  upon  your  good  nature  and  become  careless 
and  idle  ;  be  absolutely  just  in  all  your  dealings  with  him, 
as  you  would  be  with  the  porters  who  carry  your  loads 
from  one  place  to  another,  and  never  allow  him  to  imagine 
that  the  fact  that  he  is  your  confidential  servant  will  save 


IN  THE  BATETELA  COUNTRY     39 

him  from  punishment  should  he  provoke  disputes  by  his 
arrogance  in  the  villages  at  which  you  stay.  My  "  boy," 
Sam,  whom  we  engaged  at  Batempa,  was  in  my  employ 
for  close  upon  two  years,  during  the  whole  of  which  time 
he  carried  the  keys  of  my  boxes  and  was  responsible  for 
their  contents ;  I  never  had  a  single  article  stolen  from 
them.  This  should  prove  that  the  much-abused  African 
servant  can,  at  any  rate,  be  honest.  While  on  the  subject 
of  "  boys"  let  me  say  a  word  as  to  their  payment.  In  the 
Congo  one  is  obliged  when  in  a  Government  post  to  make 
a  written  contract  with  one's  "  boy,"  duly  signed  by  a 
magistrate,  but  in  the  bush  one  cannot,  of  course,  observe 
this  regulation,  and  one  accordingly  writes  out  a  contract 
oneself  and  explains  to  the  "  boy  "  what  it  contains.  The 
wages  paid  to  uncivilised  natives  engaged  up-country  are 
very  low,  and  I  think  it  is  as  well  to  arrange  as  low  a 
rate  of  pay  as  possible  with  one's  "  boy,"  afterwards 
delighting  him  with  occasional  presents.  "  Boys "  are 
usually  hired  by  the  month,  but  I  consider  it  a  great 
mistake  to  actually  pay  the  boy  monthly,  especially  when 
travelling  about.  Let  him  know,  of  course,  exactly  how 
much  he  is  entitled  to,  and  explain  to  him  that  he  can 
draw  his  pay  as  it  becomes  due,  but  offer  to  keep  it  for 
him  and  let  him  draw  from  you  goods  as  he  actually 
requires  them.  It  is  no  trouble  to  write  down  the 
amounts  he  draws  on  the  back  of  his  contract,  and  you 
will  do  the  "  boy "  a  kindness  by  restricting  his  natural 
inclination  to  squander  his  earnings ;  in  addition  to  this 
you  will  have  to  carry  about  with  you  rather  less  trade 
goods   than    if   you   always   had   to    pay   your   servants   at 


40  LAND  AND  PEOPLES  OF  THE  KASAI 
the  end  of  each  month.  "Boys"  waste  their  pay  in 
most  ridiculous  ways.  It  is  very  common  indeed  for  a 
lad  fresh  from  the  "  bush  "  to  be  kindly  received  by  older 
servants  in  some  Government  post  which  you  happen  to 
visit.  These  "  sharks "  suggest  that  on  his  departure  he 
should  seal  a  friendship  with  them  by  an  interchange  of 
gifts,  by  which  means  they  extract  a  good  sum  in  trade 
goods  from  the  boy,  giving  him  some  useless  article  in 
return.  It  is  astonishing  how  prevalent  this  custom  is, 
and  it  is  incredible  how  often  the  same  boy  can  be  caught 
by  the  trick.  If  he  has  to  come  to  you  to  draw  the  goods 
he  will  think  twice  about  spending  them,  or  very  likely 
tell  you  why  he  wants  them,  in  which  case  you  can  show 
him  that  he  is  being  made  a  fool  of.  I  am  sure  that  the 
very  little  trouble  caused  by  this  method  of  banking  for 
your  boy  is  more  than  repaid  by  the  greater  honesty  with 
which  he  will  serve  you.  Once  let  him  have  the  entire 
management  of  his  earnings  and  he  will  squander  them 
in  a  very  short  time,  after  which,  being  penniless,  he  will 
very  likely  steal.  If  he  has  to  come  to  you  when  he  wants 
his  goods  he  will  also  be  less  likely  to  gamble,  and  gambling 
among  the  servants  must  be  put  down  with  a  firm  hand  or 
wholesale  robbery  will  result.  It  is  illegal  to  hit  one's  boy, 
but  gambling,  hemp-smoking,  and  drunkenness  can  only  be 
met  by  immediate  chastisement,  which,  however,  need  not 
be  resorted  to  for  anything  else ;  for  theft,  of  course,  must 
result  in  dismissal.  These  remarks  only  apply  to  "  boys  " 
engaged  for  expeditions  such  as  ours  or  for  service  in 
remote  up-country  stations.  On  the  coast,  where  money 
is  the  currency  and  the  innumerable  temptations  to  spend 


IN  THE  BATETELA  COUNTRY     41 

it  inseparable  from  big  settlements  are  everywhere  to  be 
found,  it  is  hopeless  to  try  and  look  after  one's  "boy's" 
financial  affairs ;  but  in  civilised  places  older  and  more 
experienced  servants  are  employed,  and  these  are,  or  should 
be,  able  to  take  care  of  themselves.  During  our  journey 
wt  always  employed  the  system  of  banking  described  above 
and  never  once  regretted  it.  When  we  paid  off  "  Sam  " 
just  before  our  return  to  Europe  he  was  a  rich  man  ;  had 
he  been  paid  monthly  he  would  not  have  had  a  penny  to 
his  name.  In  his  case  we  paid  over  his  earnings  to  a 
missionary  near  his  home  to  obviate  the  risk  of  his  being 
robbed  of  them  on  his  way  back  from  the  coast.  Sam, 
who  was  only  about  twelve  years  of  age,  commenced  his 
service  for  a  fixed  wage  of  eight  yards  of  cotton  material 
per  month  !  Our  cook,  Luchima,  a  member  of  the  Bate- 
tela  tribe,  received  double  this  amount.  He  turned  out 
to  be  a  fair  cook,  as  cooks  go  in  Central  Africa,  and  a 
faithful  servant,  whom  only  ill -health  prevented  from 
accompanying  us  to  the  end  of  our  journey.  The  other 
servants  engaged  consisted  of  a  "boy"  for  Hardy,  also 
very  young,  and  another  lad  whose  name,  being  interpreted, 
signified  "  Onions,"  and  who  was  to  do  odd  jobs  about  the 
camp,  help  the  other  boys,  and  carry  a  few  of  the  small 
objects,  such  as  camera,  water-bottle,  &c.,  which  we  should 
need  upon  the  march. 

After  a  few  days  spent  at  Batempa  the  porters  who 
were  on  their  way  home  to  the  Lubefu  arrived,  and  we 
could  start  upon  our  journey.  Sixty-five  men  under  two 
"  capitas  "  or  headmen  appeared,  so  we  were  able  to  take 
most  of  our  impedimenta  with  us,  leaving   a  few  "  chop- 


42     LAND   AND   PEOPLES    OF   THE    KASAI 

boxes,"  or  cases  of  provisions,  at  Batempa,  to  be  sent  for 
as  required.  The  porters  on  the  whole  were  a  fine  sturdy 
lot  of  men,  for  the  Batetela  as  a  rule  are  powerful  people  ; 
all  were  attired  in  loin-cloths  of  imported  cotton,  and  many 
wore  suspended  from  their  belts  the  skins  of  small  wild- 
cats which  are  so  commonly  worn  in  this  district  as  to 
form  part  of  the  national  dress  of  the  Batetela.  The 
distribution  of  loads  to  a  new  lot  of  porters  is  very  often 
a  very  troublesome  business.  One  naturally  tries  to  give 
the  heaviest  objects  to  the  bigger  men,  but  unless  one 
keeps  a  sharp  look-out  the  strong  ones  will  frequently 
pass  on  their  burdens  to  others,  physically  less  fit,  who 
are  unable  to  resent  this  treatment.  Porters  will  usually 
try  to  secure  the  smallest  loads,  quite  regardless  of  the 
weight,  preferring  a  very  heavy  but  compact  box  of  cart- 
ridges to  an  almost  empty  wooden  crate.  This  is  not  so 
ridiculous  as  it  may  at  first  sight  appear,  for  all  over  the 
Kasai  district  double  loads  are  carried  attached  to  a  pole 
borne  upon  the  shoulders  of  the  porters,  so  that  a  small 
and  heavy  package  is  less  fatiguing  to  carry  along  the 
narrow,  tortuous  forest  paths  than  a  large  but  lighter  one, 
which  would  need  careful  steering  to  prevent  it  continually 
catching  in  the  branches  which  overhang  the  road.  When 
once  a  load  has  been  handed  over  to  its  porters  they  are 
responsible  for  it  until  they  reach  their  destination.  The 
usual  rule  is  to  pay  the  carriers  their  wages  at  the  end  of 
the  journey,  and  to  serve  out  to  every  man  each  day  a 
quantity  of  the  rough  salt  which  takes  the  place  of  small 
change  in  most  parts  of  the  Kasai,  and  with  which  the 
porters   can   buy   food   in   the   villages   where  the   caravan 


IN  THE  BATETELA  COUNTRY     43 

halts  for  the  night.  Upon  leaving  the  shores  of  the 
Sankuru  our  way  lay  for  a  few  miles  through  the  dense 
belt  of  forest  which  borders  the  river,  in  the  course  of 
which  we  had  to  scale  some  steep  ascents  that  caused  our 
porters  some  trouble  in  carrying  their  loads,  for  the  track 
near  the  factory  was  none  of  the  best  and  much  overhung 
by  trees  and  bushes ;  but  once  we  had  left  the  river  forest 
behind  us  our  path  lay  in  great  undulating  grassy  plains  in 
which  very  few  trees  were  visible,  except  in  the  valleys 
where  little  streams  meandered  through  strips  of  woodland. 
The  weather  was  intensely  hot,  and  our  twenty-three  days 
of  inactivity  on  board  the  Velde  had  by  no  means  fitted  us 
for  much  exertion,  so  we  felt  the  effects  of  our  first  day's 
march  rather  severely.  Torday  experienced  one  of  his  rare 
attacks  of  fever  about  an  hour  before  reaching  the  village 
at  which  we  were  to  spend  the  night,  and  collapsed  upon 
the  road,  but  we  sent  back  the  portable  hammock  in  which 
Hardy  was  travelling  to  bring  him  in,  and  a  little  treatment 
and  some  sleep  brought  his  temperature  down,  so  that  he 
was  able  to  march  next  day.  We  camped  at  the  little 
village  of  Okitulonga,  the  first  of  the  Batetela  settlements 
that  we  entered.  There  was  very  little  of  interest  in  the 
place  save  that  here  we  first  saw  the  Batetela  hut,  which  is 
nowadays  being  gradually  superseded  in  many  villages  by 
rectangular  dwellings  built  of  plaster,  modelled  upon  the 
plan  of  the  European's  bungalow.  The  native  Batetela 
hut  is  circular,  with  very  low  walls — only  some  two  feet 
high — covered  with  a  high  conical  roof  of  thatched  grass. 
The  interiors  of  these  huts  are  dark  and  stuffy  in  the 
extreme.     The  men  in  the  village,  like  our  porters,  were 


44      LAND   AND    PEOPLES   OF   THE    KASAl 

all  dressed  in  material  imported  from  Europe,  but  the 
women's  costume  was  remarkable,  if  scanty.  It  consisted 
solely  of  a  girdle,  from  the  front  of  which  was  suspended  a 
minute  piece  of  cloth,  the  lower  end  of  which  was  held  in 
between  the  legs  ;  at  the  back  a  few  strings  of  beads,  about 
eighteen  inches  in  length,  hung  like  a  tail  from  the  belt. 
This  completed  the  dress.  The  primitive  Batetela  ladies 
are  nowhere  extravagant  in  the  matter  of  costumes,  as  I 
shall  show  when  I  describe  our  visit  to  those  portions  of 
the  tribe  which  inhabit  the  equatorial  forest,  but  it  struck 
me  as  rather  remarkable  that  so  near  the  Sankuru,  where 
the  men  have  discarded  their  native-made  loin-cloths  in 
favour  of  European  cotton-stuffs,  and  where  any  man  will 
wear  any  European  garment  that  he  can  lay  hands  on,  that 
the  women  should  be  so  conservative  in  their  loyalty  to 
their  scanty  national  dress.  There  is  plenty  of  European 
material  to  be  earned  in  the  district,  so  one  can  only 
imagine  that  the  natives  prefer  their  women  to  dress  in 
the  fashions  of  their  grandmothers.  A  few  of  the  more 
important  Batetela,  particularly  those  who  have  served 
under  the  white  man,  will  dress  their  wives  in  cotton  cloth, 
but  this  has  not  yet  become  the  custom  with  the  ordinary 
inhabitants  of  the  villages. 

Our  second  stage  brought  us  to  Kasongo-Batetela,  the 
village  of  one  of  the  two  most  important  chiefs  of  this 
part  of  the  Batetela  country ;  the  second  one  being  the 
chief  of  Mokunji,  whom  we  were  on  our  way  to  visit. 
These  men  are  the  overlords  of  many  villages,  each  of 
which  has  its  own  petty  chief.  The  country  at  this 
point  is  hilly,  consisting  of  about  equal  portions  of  forest 


IN  THE  BATETELA  COUNTRY     45 

and  tree-studded  grass  land.  Upon  our  arrival  at 
Kasongo's  village  we  encamped  at  the  rest-house  be- 
longing to  the  Kasai  Company,  where  the  agent  from 
Batempa  stays  when  he  visits  the  place  to  purchase 
rubber.  We  were  received  by  a  Sierra  Leone  clerk  in 
the  employ  of  the  Kasai  Company,  who  informed  us 
that  Kasongo,  whose  residence  was  situated  on  a  hill 
about  a  mile  from  the  rest-house,  would  visit  us  with 
his  band  in  the  evening.  We  here  broke  through  our 
rule  of  always,  where  possible,  pitching  our  tents  actually 
in  the  native  village,  for  we  were  on  our  way  to  study 
the  Batetela  nearer  the  Lubefu,  and  we  knew  that  we  should 
find  ample  opportunities  later  on  of  observing  the  daily 
life  of  the  people,  while  little  could  be  expected  to  result 
from  merely  sleeping  a  night  in  Kasongo's  village  ;  there- 
fore we  encamped  at  the  rest-house.  Just  before  sundown 
the  chief  came  to  visit  us  in  state.  Attired  in  a  white 
slouch  hat,  a  white  jacket,  knickerbockers  and  stockings, 
he  did  not  present  a  very  dignified  appearance,  but  if 
one  may  estimate  his  importance  by  the  amount  of  noise 
produced  by  his  orchestra  he  must  have  been  a  very  great 
personage  indeed.  Doubtless  he  had  heard  that  the 
Basonge  chief  at  Batempa  had  impressed  us  by  the 
quality  of  his  music,  and  he  was  not  to  be  outdone  by 
his  neighbour.  His  drummers  beat  their  drums  and 
gongs  and  yelled  themselves  hoarse,  while  others  added 
to  the  din  by  means  of  iron  bells,  and  little  girls  manipu- 
lated curiously  shaped  rattles  of  basket-work.  Except  that 
many  of  the  men  wore  large  tufts  of  chicken  or  plantain- 
eater  feathers  on   their  heads,  there  was  nothing   striking 


46     LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

about    the   appearance   of   Kasongo's   followers,    and   alto- 
gether we  were   not   sorry   when   his   visit  was  at  an   end. 
We  made  a  few  phonographic  records  of  his  music  before 
his    departure,   and    created    a    great    deal    of    surprise    by 
playing  them  over  to  him,  together  with  some  records  of 
the  Basonge    orchestra    taken    at    Batempa.      Kasongo  was 
accompanied  by  his  wives,  the  chief  of  whom  was  attired 
in    a    great    deal   of   white   and   blue   cloth   and   carried   a 
bead-covered    wand.       This   lady   began   to   make   obvious 
advances    to    Hardy ;    she    insisted    in    sitting    as    near    to 
him  as  she  could  get,  and  favouring  him  with  glances  of 
the  tenderest  description.     Poor  Hardy's  discomfiture  was 
great,    for   he   could   not   speak   a   word    of   the    woman's 
language,    and    was    at    loss    to    know    how    to   snub    her 
ejffectually  without   giving    offence ;    her  lord  and    master, 
however,  did  not  honour  us  with  his  company  very  long, 
but  soon  left  us  to  our  dinner,  taking  his  noisy  musicians 
and  forward  spouse  with   him.      After   leaving   Kasongo- 
Batetela  we   began  to  approach  the  villages  in  which  we 
had   been  told   by  the  magistrate  at  Lusambo  we   should 
in   all   probability   be   attacked.       We   had   determined   to 
proceed  from  the  Sankuru   to  the   Lubefu  unattended  by 
an    armed    escort    despite    this    friendly    warning,    for    we 
were   convinced   that   the   presence   of  armed   men   in   our 
caravan    could    not    fail    to    arouse    the    suspicion    of   the 
natives  and  ruin  our  chances  of  gaining  their  confidence, 
without  which  we  might  just  as  well  have  stayed  at  home 
for  all  the  amount  of  information  as  to  their  habits  and 
customs  which  we  should   be  able  to  extract  from  them. 
When  once  a  native  whom   you   are   questioning   becomes 


IN  THE  BATETELA  COUNTRY     47 

suspicious  of  your  motives  he  can  be  as  obstinate  as  a 
mule,  and  not  one  atom  of  information  will  you  get 
out  of  him  even  if  you  are  possessed  of  the  patience  of 
Job.  I  have  often  seen  a  half-suspicious,  half-idiotic 
expression  come  over  a  native's  face  when  we  have  been 
discussing  with  him  a  point  relating  to  his  beliefs,  or 
some  other  delicate  subject,  and  I  learned  to  know  that 
further  interrogation  of  that  particular  individual  would 
be  merely  a  waste  of  time  ;  he  does  not  quite  know  why 
you  are  asking  questions,  and  nothing  will  induce  him  to 
answer  them.  This  obstinacy  can  be  exceedingly  annoying. 
I  have  heard  Torday  talking  by  the  hour  to  an  intelligent 
native,  from  whom  he  has  got  quite  a  fund  of  information, 
trying  gradually  to  work  up  to  some  important  question 
regarding  religion,  but  as  soon  as  this  question  has  been 
mooted  the  man  has  closed  up  his  brain  like  a  book  and 
become  as  stupid  as  he  was  intelligent  before  he  realised 
what  turn  the  conversation  was  taking.  It  is  worse  than 
useless  to  lose  one's  temper  under  circumstances  like  these ; 
one  can  only  wait  and  try  to  elicit  the  information  from 
some  one  else.  In  order  to  obtain  a  real  knowledge  of  the 
negro,  then,  it  is  quite  essential  that  one  should  enjoy  his 
confidence,  and  the  surest  way  to  prevent  doing  so  is  to 
arrive  in  his  village  with  an  armed  escort.  In  the  first 
place,  the  mere  fact  of  one's  being  accompanied  by  men 
equipped  for  war  leads  him  to  suppose  that  one  antici- 
pates trouble ;  and,  secondly,  the  men  who  comprise  the 
escort  are  very  likely  to  bully  or  insult  the  villagers  un- 
beknown to  the  white  man,  who,  of  course,  gets  the  credit 
for   their   aggressions.     We  could   not   afford   to   run  the 


48     LAND   AND    PEOPLES   OF   THE    KASAI 

risk  of  becoming  unpopular  at  the  very  outset  of  our 
journey,  for  one's  reputation  among  the  natives  spreads 
far  in  advance  in  Africa,  so  we  preferred  to  attempt  a 
perfectly  peaceful  march  to  the  Lubefu,  relying  upon 
tact  to  save  us  should  any  unpleasantness  arise.  Of 
course  we  carried  with  us  our  shot-guns  and  sporting 
rifles,  for  these  we  should  need  in  shooting  for  the  pot 
or  collecting  natural  history  specimens.  I  arrived  in  the 
first  of  the  "  doubtful "  villages  in  the  pouring  rain 
carried  in  Hardy's  hammock,  for  I  had  a  sharp  attack 
of  fever  on  the  marsh,  and  my  reception,  if  not  cordial, 
was  certainly  not  hostile,  and,  as  far  as  my  drowsy  con- 
dition would  allow  me  to  observe,  no  one  paid  any 
particular  attention  to  me.  We  camped  in  the  village, 
and  except  that  Torday  heard  some  one  making  a  rather 
anti-European  speech  during  the  night  there  was  nothing 
to  lead  one  to  suppose  that  the  natives  were  not  on  the 
best  of  terms  with  the  white  man.  But  it  was  at  the 
next  village,  Osodu,  one  day's  journey  from  the  Lubefu, 
where  trouble  was  said  to  be  the  most  likely  to  arise. 
We  were  not  a  little  surprised,  therefore,  to  find  on  the 
morrow  that  several  stalwart  natives  of  Osodu  had 
arrived  saying  that  they  heard  that  a  white  man  was  ill 
upon  the  road  and  that  they  had  come  to  carry  him  on 
to  their  village.  This  did  not  look  much  like  the 
hostility  against  which  we  had  been  cautioned,  and  when 
we  reached  Osodu  our  reception  was  of  the  best.  We 
then  learned  what  had  given  rise  to  the  magistrate's  fears 
for  our  safety.  The  chief  of  Osodu  is  subordinate  to 
the   more   important    chief  of   Mokunji,   to    whose   village 


IN  THE  BATETELA  COUNTRY     49 

we   were   travelling.       As   I   have   already   pointed    out,   a 
former  chief  of  Mokunji,   by  name  Okito,  had   been  de- 
posed  by   the   Government,   and   Jadi,   an   ex-soldier   who 
had  served  in  the  Arab  wars,  had  been  appointed  by  the 
authorities  to  take  his  place  as  being  likely,  having  fought 
under   the   white   man,  to  be   friendly  in   all   his   dealings 
with   the  European.      One  or  two  of  the   petty  chiefs  of 
the    country   had,   quite    naturally   I   think,   resented    this 
interference  on  the  part  of  the  Government  in  the  matter 
of  the  succession  to  the   overlordship  of  the  district  and 
had   declined  to  recognise  Jadi  as  their   paramount   chief. 
The    authorities    having    once    set    Jadi    upon   his   throne, 
were  of  course  bound  to  support  him,  and  had  therefore 
threatened    the    petty    chiefs    with    imprisonment    if   they 
persisted   in   their    refusal   to   acknowledge    his   suzerainty 
over  them.     The  chief  of  Osodu  had  been  obdurate  and 
had   accordingly  been  sentenced   to  a  few  months  of  im- 
prisonment   at    the    Government    post    of    Lubefu.      His 
people    were    very   indignant    at    this    treatment    and    had 
been  loud  in  their  protests  against  it ;  but  they  realised  no 
doubt  that  an  attack  upon  white  men  would  not  be  likely 
to  regain  their  chief  his  liberty,  so  they  decided  to  receive 
us  with  open  arms   and  endeavour  to  enlist  our  influence 
on  behalf  of  the  prisoner.     Their  indignation  at  the  treat- 
ment of  their  chief  had  been  the  cause  of  the  magistrate's 
fears  for  our  safety  should  we  enter   their   village.      We 
had    let    it    be    generally   known    that    we    belonged   to   a 
different    "  tribe  "    of    white    men    to    the    Government 
officials    and     to    all     other    European    residents    in    the 
country,   and  that  we  were  simply  travelling  in  order  to 

D 


50     LAND    AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

see  the  people.  We  always  in  future  circulated  this 
information  about  ourselves,  and  by  its  means  we  were 
able  to  pick  up  a  lot  of  information  concerning  various 
illegal  practices,  such  as  the  poison  ordeal  and  cannibal- 
ism, which  the  natives  would  undoubtedly  have  withheld 
from  an  official. 

The  village  of  Osodu  is  provided  with  a  rest-house  for 
the  use  of  European  travellers  passing  from  the  Sankuru 
to  the  Lubefu,  and  to  this  we  were  conducted  by  a  crowd 
of  villagers  accompanied  by  drummers  and  bell  players. 
Here  we  were  received  by  the  imprisoned  chief's  four  little 
sons,  aged  from  about  five  to  ten  years,  and  by  the  prime 
minister.  The  children  did  the  honours  at  the  reception 
themselves.  Dressed  in  old  waistcoats  and  straw  hats  and 
obviously  very  much  got  up  for  the  occasion  these  little 
fellows  presented  us  with  the  usual  gift  of  chickens  for  our 
evening  meal,  and,  in  addition  to  this,  produced  a  liberal 
supply  of  manioc  porridge  and  meat  as  rations  for  our  men. 
Torday  decided  that  it  would  be  wise  for  us  to  be  lavish  in 
our  presents  to  the  people  of  Osodu,  so  he  gave  our  baby 
hosts  a  generous  amount  of  trade  goods,  drawing  from  one 
of  the  villagers  the  quaint  remark,  "These  white  men  are 
like  children,  they  are  so  good."  The  interchange  of  pre- 
sents having  been  accomplished  the  prime  minister  proceeded 
to  try  to  obtain  from  us  a  promise  to  intercede  with  the 
Government  on  behalf  of  the  father  of  the  four  little  boys 
who  sat  gravely  staring  at  us  while  he  spoke.  He  related 
to  us  the  circumstances  of  the  chief's  imprisonment,  and 
begged  us  to  use  the  influence,  which  he  was  convinced 
great  men   such   as   ourselves   must  possess,   to   obtain  his 


IN  THE  BATETELA  COUNTRY     51 

release.  We  replied  that  we  had  no  authority  whatsoever 
to  meddle  in  such  matters,  but  Torday  promised  if  occasion 
arose  to  put  in  a  word  with  the  authorities  on  behalf  of  the 
village  of  Osodu. 

During  the  two  days  we  spent  there  we  became  quite 
attached  to  our  little  hosts.  Their  delight  with  any  trifle 
with  which  we  presented  them  was  so  real  and  so  different 
to  the  grasping  manner  with  which  presents  to  the  negro 
are  often  received  that  it  was  a  real  pleasure  to  give  them 
presents,  I  remember  one  of  the  little  fellows  beating  the 
ground  with  his  fists  in  his  joy  at  receiving  two  or  three 
empty  Mannlicher  cartridges  to  hang  around  his  neck  !  As 
usual  our  phonograph  created  a  great  impression.  After 
we  had  given  a  concert,  at  which  the  entire  village  attended, 
some  one  asked  us,  *'  What  do  you  call  that  ?  Witchcraft  ?" 
*'  Oh,  no,"  modestly  replied  Torday,  "  it  is  only  our  clever- 
ness." "That  is  witchcraft,"  said  the  native;  "cleverness 
stops  short  of  that."  As  I  was  sitting  on  the  edge  of  the 
crowd  which  was  listening  intently  to  the  phonograph, 
smoking  my  pipe  and  amusing  myself  by  studying  the  ex- 
pressions of  the  natives  as  the  instrument  played  the  record 
of  a  laughing  song,  I  noticed  that  a  man  squatting  on  his 
haunches  at  the  side  of  my  chair  was  periodically  waving 
his  hand  with  a  peculiar  sweeping  movement  towards  his 
face.  I  was  at  first  quite  at  a  loss  to  know  what  he  was 
about,  until  it  suddenly  dawned  upon  me  that  he  was 
endeavouring  to  direct  into  his  own  mouth  the  clouds  of 
tobacco  smoke  that  I  expelled  from  my  lips  !  Evidently  he 
had  left  his  pouch  at  home.  The  Batetela  are  great 
smokers  and  cultivate  tobacco  themselves,  which  they  con- 


52      LAND   AND    PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

sume  in  pipes  in  which  the  smoke  is  drawn  through  water 
contained  in  a  calabash  under  the  bowl.  They  take 
enormous  mouthfuls  of  smoke,  so  enormous,  in  fact,  that 
they  frequently  produce  attacks  of  coughing  violent  enough 
to  end  in  a  fainting  fit,  the  unfortunate  smoker  then 
becoming  the  object  of  much  mirth  and  rough  chaff  from 
his  neighbours. 

At  Osodu  we  first  saw  specimens  of  the  curious  pictures 
in  red,  black  and  white,  with  which  the  modern  Batetela  love 
to  decorate  the  mud  wall  of  their  new  houses  built  upon  the 
plan  of  a  bungalow.  These  represent  wild  animals,  natives 
armed  with  bows  and  arrows  attacking  others  equipped 
with  guns,  white  men  travelling  in  hammocks  accom- 
panied by  an  escort,  and,  in  one  instance,  a  white  man 
sitting  in  a  chair  drinking  out  of  an  enormous  bottle ! 
Some  of  the  pictures  include  horses,  which  the  artist  must 
have  seen  at  Lusambo,  where  three  or  four  of  these  animals 
are  kept.  The  drawings  are  crude  in  the  extreme,  but  they 
are  none  the  less  curious,  especially  as  the  art  of  drawing 
is  very  little  practised  among  the  peoples  of  the  Kasai, 
although,  as  I  shall  show  later  on,  wood-carving  and  the 
ornamentation  of  textiles  has  reached  a  high  pitch  of 
excellence  in  some  parts  of  the  districts.  At  Osodu,  too,  we 
also  first  saw  an  object  whose  very  existence  many  people 
might  be  inclined  to  doubt,  namely  a  basket  strainer  used 
in  the  manufacture  of  soap.  The  soap  is  made  of  burnt 
banana  roots  and  is  of  quite  useable  quality.  As  a  matter 
of  fact  most  African  natives  are  by  no  means  uncleanly  as 
regards  their  persons.  When  on  the  march  carriers  will 
rarely  miss  an  opportunity  to  bathe  in  a  stream,  and   many 


A  Batetela  dkummek. 


Batetela  wall  pictures. 


IN  THE  BATETELA  COUNTRY     53 

of  those  peoples  who  daub  themselves  with  clay  apply  fresh 
earth  with  such  regularity  as  to  cause  the  practice  to  be  by 
no  means  so  dirty  as  it  sounds ;  of  course  some  tribes  that 
we  visited  were  filthy  in  the  extreme,  but  these  were  the  ex- 
ception rather  than  the  rule.  Upon  leaving  Osodu,  which 
we  did  accompanied  by  the  local  band  and  with  every  sign 
of  goodwill  on  the  part  of  the  inhabitants,  we  entered  a 
tract  of  country  strongly  resembling  the  downs  of  Sussex, 
except  that  the  hollows  were  as  a  rule  filled  with  woodland 
and  contained  brooks,  and  the  grass  was,  of  course,  longer 
and  coarser.  The  march  to  the  village  of  Mokunji  occupied 
about  three  hours.  As  we  came  within  sight  of  the  village 
we  could  see  a  large  crowd  waiting  to  receive  us,  and  we 
were  met  by  a  man  bringing  us  a  complimentary  present  of 
pine  apples  and  bananas  who  informed  us  that  the  Jadi  him- 
self was  awating  our  arrival  a  little  farther  on.  Nearer  to 
the  village  we  met  the  chief.  He  was  a  tall,  very  power- 
fully built  man,  with  a  heavy  unintelligent  countenance, 
dressed  in  garments  from  Europe.  With  him  came  a 
number  of  his  wives,  his  drummers,  and  a  good  following 
of  slaves  and  other  inhabitants  of  Mokunji,  while  behind 
him  strode  an  attendant  bearing  the  sole  weapon  noticeable 
among  the  crowd,  an  old  flint-lock  pistol,  the  stock  of  which 
was  studded  with  many  brass  nails,  and  which  was  evidently 
regarded  as  a  state  weapon  corresponding  to  the  mace  of 
the  Lord  Mayor's  show.  We  all  three  shook  hands  with 
Jadi,  who  then  preceded  us  to  the  rest-house  in  his  village, 
the  drummers  accompanying  us,  and  vieing  with  each  other 
who  should  get  the  most  noise  out  of  his  instrument.  The 
rest-house  lay  upon  the  edge  of  the  village  on  the  side  nearer 


54      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

to  the  Lubefu  River,  and,  in  addition  to  a  plaster  building 
useable  as  a  bedroom,  there   was  a  thatched   shed   without 
walls  under  the  shade  of  which  the  white  traveller  could 
take    his    meals    sheltered   from   the   sun  or  rain.     It  was 
beneath  this  shed  that  we   interviewed  Jadi   and   explained 
to  him  the  object  of  our  visit.     A  large  crowd   collected 
round  us  in  a  moment,  so  that  we  were  able  to  gather  some 
impression  of  the  people  among  whom   we  were   to  v/ork. 
Excepting  that  here  and  there  one  could  notice  a  man  wear- 
ing a  scarlet  feather,  usually  drawn  from  the  tail  of  a  grey 
parrot  while  the  bird  is  still  alive,  stuck  into  the  hair  on  the 
crown  of  his  head  to  denote  that  he  had  at  some  time  slain  a 
powerful  enemy  on  the  field  of  battle,  there  was  little  of  in- 
terest in  the  appearance  of  the  male  portion  of  the  population, 
who  were  all  clothed  in  the  imported  cotton  material  which,  to 
my  mind,  robs  the  native  of  any  picturesqueness  he  may  pos- 
sess, though,  doubtless,  its  adoption  is  a  step  towards  civilisa- 
tion.   The  women,  however,  were  more  worthy  of  attention. 
Their  bodies  and  thighs,  which  were  quite  unclothed  by  the 
national   costume  I   have  already  described,  were    covered 
with  innumerable  scars  so  placed  as  to  form  patterns  upon 
their  bodies.     These  cuts  had  been  rubbed   with  charcoal 
when  first  made,  with  the  result  that  the  scars  left  by  them 
were  black  and  stood  out  in  bold  relief  from  the  skins.     Some 
of  them  must  have  projected  quite  half  an  inch  from  the  ordi- 
nary level  of  the  skin.     All  Batetela  women  are  more  or  less 
scarred,  this  form  of  ornamentation  (if  so  it  can  be  described) 
being   one  of  their  national   characteristics.      Most  of  the 
peoples  of  the  Congo  with  whom  we  came  in  contact  indulge 
in  scarring  to  some  extent,  but  few  cover  their  bodies  so  com- 


IN   THE    BATETELA   COUNTRY  55 

pletely  with  such  marks  as  do  the  Batetela  women  ;  curiously 
enough  the  men  of  the  tribe  are  rarely  scarred.  Among 
the  Tofoke  tribe  of  the  Lomami  River  the  men  cover  their 
faces,  even  their  lips,  with  cuts,  leaving  little  round  lumps 
all  over  their  countenances,  and  we  were  informed  by  one 
of  them  that  the  process  was  not  so  painful  as  might  be 
imagined,  though,  as  he  remarked,  the  lips  were  a  bit  sore 
until  they  had  completely  healed  up  !  Jadi  was  evidently 
disposed  to  be  very  friendly  towards  us.  Torday  explained 
to  him  that  we  should  wish  to  purchase  a  large  number  of 
locally  made  objects,  and  that  we  hoped  the  chief  would  let 
it  be  generally  known  that  we  would  pay  fair  prices  for 
almost  any  kind  of  articles  used  by  the  natives,  and  also 
that  we  should  be  glad  if  Jadi  himself  would  tell  us  a  little 
about  his  land  and  his  people  when  we  came  over  to  visit 
him,  as  we  intended  to  do  pretty  frequently.  No  sooner 
had  Torday  expressed  a  wish  to  purchase  curios  than  we 
were  simply  overwhelmed  by  offers  to  sell  every  conceivable 
thing.  The  crowd  thronged  round  the  shed  in  which  we 
sat,  and  implored  us  to  buy  knives,  arrows,  spears,  charms, 
head-dresses,  masks,  stools,  musical  instruments — in  fact 
everything  that  the  Batetela  possess,  including  a  few  empty 
meat  tins  left  behind  by  a  white  man  !  Evidently  it  was 
not  going  to  be  difficult  to  lay  the  foundations  of  a  fairly 
extensive  collection.  During  the  bargaining,  in  which  he 
himself  participated,  selling  us  quite  a  number  of  objects, 
Jadi  sneezed  ;  in  a  moment  every  one  present  was  clapping 
his  hands,  and  saying  "  Ah,  Ah."  It  is,  we  discovered,  a 
custom  among  these  people  always  to  applaud  the  chief 
when  he  sneezes ! 


56      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE    KASAI 

In  the  cool  of  the  evening,  when  we  had  purchased  all 
the  articles  which  seemed  at  first  sight  to  be  worth  collect- 
ing, we  took  a  stroll  round  the  village.  We  at  once  noticed 
that  the  place  is  (or  rather  was,  early  in  1908)  in  a  state  of 
transition  from  a  primitive  Batetela  village  to  a  small  town 
designed  after  the  manner  of  European  settlements  in 
Africa.  This  change  offers  an  instance  of  the  tendency  of 
the  Batetela  to  embrace  any  new  ideas  introduced  among 
them  by  the  white  man.  The  old  circular  huts  were  rapidly 
giving  place  to  buildings  of  plaster,  and  these  latter  were 
neatly  arranged  in  wide  streets  radiating  from  the  residence 
of  the  chief.  The  regularity  of  the  way  in  which  the  place 
was  planned  was  a  great  contrast  to  the  jumble  of  huts  which 
constitutes  the  usual  African  village.  Of  the  number  of 
inhabitants  of  Mokunji  I  cannot  speak  with  any  certainty ; 
it  is  a  large  village  as  Batetela  villages  go,  but  it  seems  to 
me  to  be  almost  impossible  to  arrive  at  the  numbers  of  the 
male  population  of  any  Congo  village,  unless,  of  course,  one 
could  hold  a  roll  call  of  the  warriors.  Among  the  Batetela 
every  wife  has  a  house  of  her  own,  but  as  most  men  have 
more  than  one  wife,  and  many  of  them  have  a  good  number 
(it  being  considered  correct  for  a  man  of  good  position  to 
keep  up  as  many  establishments  as  he  can  afford),  the 
number  of  huts  in  a  village  offers  no  clue  to  the  number  of 
the  male  population.  I  have  often  marvelled  at  the 
statistics  so  often  published  of  the  number  of  native  inhabi- 
tants of  the  Belgian  Congo.  How  are  these  figures  arrived 
at  ?  And  how  can  they  pretend  to  be  even  approximately 
correct  ?  An  of^cial  census  is,  I  believe,  periodically  made 
by  the  chefs  de  poste^  but  in  most  parts  of  the  country  the 


IN  THE  BATETELA  COUNTRY     57 

very  whereabouts  of  many  villages  is  often  unknown  to  the 
white  resident,  and  even  if  he  could  personally  visit  every 
hamlet  in  his  district,  it  would,  I  should  think,  be  quite 
impossible  for  him  to  arrive  at  any  satisfactory  conclusion  as 
to  the  number  of  people  they  contained.  If  a  list  of  natives 
is  required  for  purposes  of  taxation,  it  is  hardly  likely  that 
every  man  will  come  forward  to  be  enrolled  ;  counting  the 
huts  is  often,  as  I  have  shown,  a  very  uncertain  way  of 
getting  at  the  true  numbers  of  the  population,  and  chiefs 
by  no  means  always  tell  the  truth,  especially  to  an  official. 
Under  the  circumstances,  therefore,  I  am  sure  jjthat  guess- 
work must  be  to  a  great  extent  the  means  by  which  the 
figures  referred  to  are  arrived  at.  Torday  and  I  have  often 
hazarded  guesses  at  the  number  of  people  inhabiting  various 
villages  in  which  we  have  stayed  some  time;  our  guesses 
frequently  differed  from  one  another  to  an  extraordinary 
degree.  It  is,  therefore,  to  be  presumed  that  the  opinion  of 
an  official  who  attempts  to  give  an  estimate  of  his  popula- 
tion may  very  likely  differ  considerably  from  the  opinion  of 
his  predecessor  in  the  district.  Under  these  circumstances, 
I  cannot  understand  how  it  is  possible  to  form  any  reliable 
conclusion  as  to  the  increase  or  decrease  of  the  population. 
Any  one  travelling  along  a  Congolese  highway  may  come 
across  ruined  or  deserted  villages,  and  may  thus  be  led  to 
believe  that  the  numbers  of  the  natives  are  diminishing.  But 
the  people  will  move  their  homes  to  another  site  for  very 
trifling  reasons — one  of  the  forest  tribes  we  visited  will  abandon 
a  village  on  the  death  of  any  important  inhabitant — so  the 
existence  of  deserted  villages  cannot,  in  many  cases,  be  taken 
into  consideration  in  calculating  the  number  of  the  natives. 


58      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

I  shall,  in  the  course  of  my  narrative,  avoid  expressing 
any  opinion  as  to  the  numerical  strength  of  the  tribes  we 
visited,  for  I  feel  that  such  opinions  must  be  worthless. 

We  did  not,  upon  this  first  visit  to  Jadi,  inspect  his  own 
residence,  but  on  several  subsequent  occasions  we  found 
opportunities  for  doing  so.  There  is  nothing  really  remark- 
able about  the  dwelling  ;  it  consists  of  a  large  audience  hall 
with  a  dais  at  one  end,  upon  which  stands  the  royal  throne — 
a  deck  chair  decorated  with  brass-headed  nails.  At  the 
back  of  this  hall,  in  an  enclosed  courtyard,  are  the  huts  of 
the  chiefs  wives.  Everything  about  the  dwelling  was  neat 
and  tidy,  but  there  was  nothing  really  remarkable  about  the 
place  ;  even  the  "  fetishes,"  to  which  Jadi  attaches  much 
importance,  and  which  are  situated  in  the  courtyard,  con- 
sisting only  of  bowls  placed  upon  stakes  driven  into  the 
ground.  As  is  usually  the  case  among  the  peoples  of  the 
Kasai,  the  Batetela  do  not  worship  their  fetishes,  but  merely 
regard  them  as  charms  which  have  been  endowed  by  the 
"  medicine-man  "  with  powers  to  ward  off  some  evil  or  to 
produce  some  good  effect.  Small  fetishes  are  worn  on  the 
person  everywhere  in  the  Congo,  and  Jadi  wears  some  in  his 
hair,  which  are  supposed  to  warn  his  head  against  any  plot 
which  may  be  hatched  against  it. 

Around  the  village  of  Mokunji  are  extensive  plantations, 
for  the  inhabitants  are  born  agriculturists,  and  are  ready  to 
plant  any  useful  crops  which  may  be  introduced  among 
them.  As  they  have  come  in  contact  with  the  influence  of 
both  the  European  and  the  Arab,  and  as  many  of  them  have 
served  in  the  army,  and  thus  been  able  to  observe  cultivation 
in  widely  scattered  districts  of  the  Congo,  the  Batetela  have 


IN  THE  BATETELA  COUNTRY     59 

learned  to  grow  a  greater  variety  of  crops  than  any  of  the 
other  peoples  we  visited,  so  that,  the  soil  of  their  country 
being  very  productive,  foodstuffs  are  readily  and  cheaply 
procurable  among  them  ;  millet,  manioc,  maize,  sweet 
potatoes,  rice,  ground-nuts,  onions,  beans,  plantains,  and 
bananas  all  being  cultivated,  while  a  certain  amount  of  quite 
smokeable  tobacco  is  also  grown.  As  I  shall  show  later  on, 
when  describing  our  wanderings  in  the  equatorial  forest,  the 
traveller  can  always  be  sure  of  obtaining  a  plentiful  supply  of 
food  for  his  porters  whenever  he  reaches  a  village  occupied 
by  one  of  the  more  advanced  sub-tribes  of  the  Batetela 
nation.  We  left  Jadi  after  one  night  spent  at  his  capital  town, 
promising  to  return  to  continue  our  purchase  of  curios,  and 
proceeded  to  our  destination  near  the  Lubefu,  the  Kasai 
Company's  factory  of  Mokunji,  which  lies  about  one  and  a 
half  hour's  march  to  the  east  of  Jadi's  village.  The  factory 
is  built  upon  the  crest  of  one  of  the  grassy  downs  which,  as 
I  have  said,  are  a  feature  of  this  part  of  the  country,  and, 
owing  to  its  exposed  position,  it  is  swept  by  every  wind,  and 
is  accordingly  comparatively  cool  and  healthy.  Upon  our 
arrival  we  were  cordially  received  by  the  Company's  agent, 
who  placed  a  house  at  our  disposal,  wherein  we  could  do  our 
work  with  the  deposed  chief  whom  we  had  come  to  visit, 
and  where  we  could  store  the  objects  we  collected.  We 
pitched  our  camp  on  the  edge  of  the  post.  Next  morning 
Okitu,  the  ex-chief  of  the  local  Batetela,  the  predecessor  of 
Jadi,  came  to  call  upon  us.  At  the  time  of  our  visit  he  was 
simply  a  private  individual,  devoid  of  any  recognised 
authority,  who  had  taken  up  his  residence  near  the  factory 
at  the  invitation  of  the  agent,  who  had  been  struck  with  his 


6o      LAND   AND    PEOPLES    OF    THE    KASAI 

intelligence  and  friendly  bearing,  but,  nevertheless,  we  could 
see  that  he  really  exercised  a  considerable  influence  upon  a 
good  many  of  the  natives,  who,  like  the  people  of  Osodu, 
had  no  great  aff^ection  for  Jadi.  Okitu,  modest  and  un- 
assuming though  he  was,  had  far  more  the  manner  of  a 
chief  than  the  blunt,  soldierly,  but  unintelligent  looking 
man  whom  we  had  just  visited.  He  was  a  thorough  native 
gentleman  according  to  his  lights,  and  had  been,  so  we  were 
informed,  a  just  ruler  of  his  people.  Fortunately  he  took 
a  fancy  to  Torday,  so  that  he  readily  consented  to  assist  us 
in  our  work  of  obtaining  information  about  his  tribe,  with 
the  result  that  Torday  was  able  to  collect  a  large  amount  of 
notes  upon  a  great  variety  of  subjects.  For  the  following 
five  or  six  weeks  Okitu  visited  us  almost  daily,  and  we  talked 
by  the  hour  of  the  history  of  his  nation,  of  the  Arab  wars, 
of  his  religion,  of  the  daily  life  of  the  people,  and  other  such 
subjects  interesting  to  the  student  of  ethnology.  He  told 
us  how  his  ancestors  had  come  from  the  north  out  of  the 
great  forest  ;  how,  when  they  reached  the  Lubefu  River,  a 
difficulty  as  to  the  leadership  had  arisen,  and  a  fetish-man 
had  said  that  he  who  would  command  them  must  lay  his 
right  hand  upon  a  stone,  and,  at  one  blow,  cut  off  his  fore- 
finger with  an  axe  ;  how  the  first  Mokunji  had  done  this, 
and  had  led  his  tribe  over  the  river  to  the  land  of  the 
Basonge,  and  had,  by  force  of  arms,  driven  the  latter  to  the 
Sankuru,  wresting  from  them  the  country  in  which  we  then 
were.  He  told  us  how  the  influence  of  the  Arab  slave 
dealers  had  gradually  crept  in  from  the  north-east,  dominat- 
ing even  the  northern  portions  of  the  Batetela  tribe,  until  it 
reached  the  Lubefu  ;  how  a  weak   ruler  of  Mokunji  had 


IN  THE  BATETELA  COUNTRY     6i 

allowed  himself  to  be  persuaded  to  acknowledge  the  Arabs' 
sway,  but  how  his  successor  had  called  his  warriors  round 
him,  and  appealing  in  1891  for  aid  to  the  white  man,  newly 
arrived  at  Lusambo,  had  risen  against  the  oppressor  and 
freed  his  people  from  the  curse  of  Arab  suzerainty  with  the 
horrors  of  its  slave  trade. 

All  this,  and  much  more,  of  the  history  of  his  people 
Okitu  told  us  as  Torday  plied  him  with  questions,  while 
I  noted  down  the  facts  as  he  narrated  them,  Hardy  being 
busily  employed  the  while  with  his  brushes,  depicting 
types  of  natives  and  landscapes,  or  making  accurate  dia- 
grams of  the  patterns  of  the  women's  scars.  But  it  was 
not  only  with  the  history  of  the  Batetela  that  we  were  con- 
cerned, and  Okitu  soon  learned  to  trust  us  sufficiently  to 
confide  in  us  many  things  about  the  habits  of  his  people 
which  he  would  never  have  told  to  any  one  connected  with 
the  Government.  We  freely  discussed  the  question  of  can- 
nibalism. It  appears  that  among  the  Batetela,  as  among 
the  Basonge,  the  practice  of  eating  human  flesh  is  rapidly 
dying  out,  but  a  few  years  ago  it  was  extremely  prevalent. 
Prisoners  of  war  and  enemies  slain  on  the  battlefield  were 
invariably  eaten,  and  numbers  of  the  Batetela  tribe  who 
had  been  convicted  of  murder  were  often  handed  over  to 
some  village  other  than  their  own  to  expiate  their  crimes 
by  serving  as  a  meal  to  their  fellow-tribesmen.  Even  to 
this  day  certain  loathsome  practices,  survivals  of  cannibalism, 
obtain  at  Mokunji  which  are  too  revolting  to  European 
ears  to  be  described  here.  In  the  old  days  it  was  the  privi- 
lege of  the  chief  to  maim  and  mutilate  his  subjects  accord- 
ing to  the  dictates  of  his  own  sweet  will,  but  happily  this 


62      LAND   AND    PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

custom  has  given  way  before  the  advance  of  civilisation. 
We  discussed  with  Okitu  every  possible  subject  from  the 
gruesome  practices  I  have  mentioned  to  such  simple  domestic 
matters  as  to  who  is  the  actual  owner  of  the  crops  and  what 
are  the  laws  of  inheritance.  It  appears  that  the  foodstuffs 
grown  on  the  soil  cultivated  by  the  women  belong  actually 
to  the  wives,  but  they  must  feed  their  husbands,  for,  as 
Okitu  naively  remarked,  "  A  man  does  not  love  his  wife 
nearly  so  much  v/hen  there  is  no  food  in  the  house." 
As  regards  inheritance  we  learned  that  among  the  Bate- 
tela,  as  among  many  African  peoples,  widows  are  inherited 
according  to  the  same  law  as  the  dead  man's  other  house- 
hold goods !  During  our  stay  at  the  factory  we  several 
times  visited  Jadi's  village,  and  also  interviewed  many  promi- 
nent natives,  taking  every  opportunity  of  checking  Okitu's 
statements  and  assuring  ourselves  of  their  veracity.  One 
of  the  men  we  questioned  was  quite  a  remarkable  personage. 
His  name  was  Umbi  Enungu,  and  he  boasted  that  he  was 
the  oldest  living  member  of  the  Batetela  tribe.  What  right 
he  had  to  make  this  statement  it  is,  of  course,  quite  impos- 
possible  to  ascertain,  but  it  is  certain  that  he  was  very  old 
indeed,  so  old  that  he  could  only  walk  for  a  very  short 
distance  without  resting,  and  required  assistance  when 
rising  from  a  sitting  position.  This  latter  infirmity  turned 
out  to  be  rather  a  good  thing  for  us.  We  one  day  played 
over  to  the  old  man  some  phonograph  records,  including 
a  newly  made  record  in  which  Jadi  had  made  a  few  re- 
marks concerning  the  history  of  his  people.  Umbi  Enungu 
was  deeply  interested  in  the  songs  to  which  we  treated  him, 
but  when  he  heard  the  record  of  Jadi's  speech  his  interest 


■>3f 


T^"^ 


'€:-5«''I^' 


-%  7^     ^»  -         ■  v»  '   *  .       ■  auk.    .M 


An  old-fashioxed  Batetei.a  hut. 


Jadi  and  some  of  his  wives. 


IN   THE   BATETELA    COUNTRY  6^ 

changed  in  a  moment  to  fury.  Apparently  Jadi  had  made 
some  slight  mistake  with  regard  to  an  incident  which, 
though  it  had  occurred  in  the  dark  ages,  was  still  fresh 
in  the  memory  of  old  Enungu.  This  error  filled  the  old 
man  with  indignation.  Seizing  a  spear  which  lay  at  hand, 
and  hurling  insults  at  the  head  of  Jadi  and  at  the  phono- 
graph, he  strove  frantically  to  rise,  expressing  his  intention 
of  smashing  up  a  machine  which  could  tell  such  lies.  For- 
tunately his  age  prevented  his  getting  to  his  feet  to  carry 
out  his  threats,  and  we  quickly  put  a  stop  to  the  playing 
of  the  offending  record.  The  old  fellow  was  then  con- 
ducted to  a  shady  spot  where  he  could  sit  down  quietly 
and  recover  his  composure.  For  some  time  he  sat  in 
silence,  making  signs  about  his  person  with  some  magic 
seeds  produced  from  the  cat's-skin  bag  containing  his 
"  medicine,"  without  which  he  never  moved,  and  finally 
he  departed  evidently  still  much  disturbed  in  mind.  He 
did  condescend  to  visit  us  frequently  after  this  incident, 
however,  and  he  contrived  to  extort  from  us  a  good 
number  of  presents,  on  the  receipt  of  which  he  would 
express  his  pleasure  by  feebly  endeavouring  to  dance,  and 
by  spitting  freely  in  the  direction  of  our  feet. 

At  the  time  of  our  visit  to  Mokunji  the  height  of 
the  grass,  which  is  not  burnt  off  until  about  May,  pre- 
vented our  indulging  in  hunting,  and  accordingly  we 
brought  back  very  little  in  the  way  of  natural  history 
specimens  from  this  country.  As  a  matter  of  fact  the 
list  of  big  game  animals  of  the  district  is  extraordinarily 
meagre.  The  antelope  family  is  represented  by  bush- 
bucks,  duikers,  and  another  beast  smaller  than  the  bush- 


64      LAND   AND    PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

buck,  a  skin  of  which  I  was  never  able  to  see,  so  I  cannot 
say  to  what  species  it  belongs  ;  the  red  river  hog  is  common 
round  Mokunji,  and  leopards  are  very  numerous.  Buffalo 
and  elephant  are  conspicuous  by  their  absence,  though  a 
solitary  buffalo  bull  was  killed  near  the  Lubefu  in  1907  ; 
it  belonged  to  one  of  the  small  brown  species  of  forest 
buffalo.  Owing  to  the  scarcity  of  other  prey  leopards 
have  taken  to  man-eating  with  disastrous  results  to  the 
villages  between  the  Lubefu  River  and  Jadi's  capital.  As 
many  as  five  people — all  of  them  women — were  killed 
in  one  day  within  a  radius  of  ten  miles  from  the  Kasai 
Company's  factory,  and  shortly  before  our  visit  a  leopard 
had  attacked  a  chief  on  the  road  at  sundown  as  he  was 
returning  home  after  a  visit  to  the  Company's  agent.  The 
animal  had  sprung  upon  the  chief  from  the  high  grass  by 
the  roadside,  but  upon  becoming  aware  that  he  was  attended 
by  a  considerable  following,  it  had  left  its  victim  on  the 
ground  little  the  worse  for  his  adventure.  At  Mokunji 
we  were  lucky  enough  to  secure  a  living  specimen  of  the 
mysterious  "Yuka,"  which  had  so  roused  our  curiosity 
at  Batempa.  Tempted  by  the  high  price  which  Torday 
offered,  the  entire  population  of  a  hamlet  turned  out  one 
night  and  surrounded  a  tree  in  which  the  animal  had  been 
heard  to  give  vent  to  its  weird  cry ;  then  two  young  war- 
riors, evidently  anxious  to  display  their  courage,  had  climbed 
the  tree  and  captured  the  beast.  It  turned  out  to  be  a 
species  of  hyrax,  which,  though  not  unknown  to  science, 
was  represented  in  the  Natural  History  Museum  by  one 
skin  only,  sent  home  years  ago  by  Emin  Pasha.  Its  ferocity 
was  just  as  much  a  myth  as  its  habit  of  climbing  with  its 


IN  THE  BATETELA  COUNTRY     65 

back  to  the  tree  !  In  less  than  half-an-hour  after  its  release 
from  the  basket  in  which  it  was  brought  to  us  it  was  eating 
out  of  our  hands.  We  obtained  later  on  a  second  living 
specimen  of  this  hyrax,  but  both  of  them  died  before 
Hardy  could  take  them  with  him  to  Europe.  In  the 
Lubefu  River  crocodiles  are  said  to  exist,  but  hippo- 
potami are  only  to  be  found  in  it  at  its  confluence  with 
the  Sankuru,  for  the  current  of  the  Lubefu  is  too  strong 
for  these  animals  ;  so  strong  indeed  is  the  stream,  and  so 
narrow  and  winding  its  course,  that  a  whaleboat,  well- 
manned  with  experienced  paddlers,  takes  nineteen  days  to 
ascend  the  river  from  Bena  Dibele  to  the  Government 
station  of  Lubefu,  a  distance  of  only  about  one  hundred 
miles.  In  places  the  stream  is  so  overhung  by  trees  that 
it  flows  as  through  a  tunnel  beneath  their  intertwining 
branches.  The  road  from  Mokunji  to  the  station  of 
Lubefu  crosses  the  river  by  one  of  those  suspension  bridges 
made  of  creepers  (known  to  the  Belgians  as  "  monkey 
bridges")  which  the  Batetela  are  so  skilful  in  building. 
The  creepers  are  attached  to  trees  on  either  bank,  and 
high  railings  on  each  side  of  the  tight-rope-like  bridge 
prevent  one  from  being  hurled  into  the  river  when  the 
structure  sways  beneath  one's  weight. 

During  our  stay  at  Mokunji  we  not  only  made  extensive 
collections  for  the  ethnographical  department  of  the  British 
Museum,  but  we  were  able  to  procure  a  number  of  human 
skulls  for  the  Royal  College  of  Surgeons.  We  experienced 
no  difficulty  in  obtaining  these,  for  the  inhabitants  did  not 
hesitate  to  collect  for  us  the  skulls  of  those  who  had  perished 
in  the  bush  from  the  deadly  sleeping  sickness.     When  a 

E 


66      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

person  is  known  to  have  this  terrible  disease  the  Batetela 
expel  him  from  the  village,  placing  food  at  a  certain  spot 
each  day  until  the  fact  that  the  food  is  not  called  for  shows 
that  the  poor  wretch's  sufferings  are  at  an  end.  We  have 
met  several  of  these  unfortunates  when  on  the  march,  one 
of  them  a  little  girl  in  the  last  stage  of  the  complaint,  who 
presented  a  most  pitiful  spectacle,  and  filled  us  with  horror 
at  the  thought  of  her  terrible  fate.  But  is  not  this  primitive 
isolation,  cruel  as  it  may  seem,  the  only  possible  way  by 
which  savages  can  combat  the  spread  of  sleeping  sickness .? 
The  patient's  end  must  be  horrible,  that  lonely  death  in 
the  bush,  but  it  may  be  the  means  of  saving  the  lives  of 
hundreds  in  the  villages.  The  collecting  of  the  skulls 
was  the  last  piece  of  work  that  we  did  at  Mokunji,  for  we 
were  afraid  that  to  mention  such  an  idea  as  to  purchase  the 
bones  of  their  dead  might  so  offend  the  Batetela  as  to 
prevent  them  from  imparting  to  us  a  lot  of  the  information 
with  regard  to  their  manners  and  customs  which  we  were  so 
anxious  to  obtain.  This,  however,  did  not  turn  out  to  be 
the  case ;  in  fact  the  prices  we  paid  for  the  skulls — after  a 
large  reward  had  been  offered  for  the  first  one  or  two — 
were  lower  than  those  asked  for  many  of  the  other  things 
we  purchased,  so  that  we  were  enabled  to  send  home  quite 
a  valuable  series  of  them  to  the  Museum  of  the  Royal  Col- 
lege of  Surgeons.  Our  ethnographical  work  having  been 
completed  as  far  as  possible  and  our  collections  made,  we 
packed  up  the  specimens  (now  amounting  to  several  hundred) 
and  despatched  them  to  the  Sankuru  on  their  way  to  Europe. 
We  then  prepared  to  follow  them,  intending  to  proceed  to 
Batempa    and    thence    descend  the   Sankuru   to    Lusambo. 


IN  THE  BATETELA  COUNTRY     67 

During  our  stay  at  Mokunji,  Commandant  Gustin,  the 
Commissioner  of  the  District  of  Luabala-Kasai,  had  passed 
by  on  his  way  to  his  residence  at  Lusambo  after  an  extended 
tour  through  the  eastern  portion  of  his  district,  and  Torday 
was  anxious  to  discuss  with  him  one  or  two  ethnographical 
subjects  in  which  he  was  greatly  interested.  We  therefore 
determined  to  stay  for  a  few  days  at  Lusambo.  When  we 
met  the  Commandant  we  laid  before  him  the  grievance  of 
the  natives  of  Osodu,  and  we  had  the  satisfaction  of  being 
instrumental  in  the  release  of  the  father  of  our  baby  hosts, 
for  the  Commissioner  considered  that  the  chief  of  Osodu 
could  be  safely  set  at  liberty  upon  the  understanding  that 
he  must  acknowledge  the  suzerainty  of  Jadi,  which  he  was 
now  ready  to  do. 

Once  again  our  march  was  to  be  rendered  interesting  by 
rumours  of  wars,  although,  luckily  for  us,  the  trouble  never 
reached  the  stage  of  actual  hostilities.  Jadi  and  Kasongo 
Batetela  fell  out  over  the  suzerainty  of  two  or  three  small 
villages  situated  upon  their  mutual  frontier  ;  and,  as  neither 
chief  would  give  way  nor  appeal  to  the  Government  for  arbi- 
tration, a  breach  of  the  peace  seemed  certain.  Jadi  beat  his  big 
war  drum  at  Mokunji  and  sent  messages  by  gong,  signalling 
to  the  oulying  villages  to  bid  their  warriors  hold  themselves 
in  readiness  to  take  the  field.  This  signalling  was  especially 
interesting  to  us,  in  that  it  enabled  us  to  see  how  perfectly 
a  chief  keeps  in  communication  with  his  army  by  means  of 
the  signalling  gong.  This  instrument,  of  which  I  give  an 
illustration  and  of  which  specimens  are  now  in  the  British 
Museum,  is  made  from  a  solid  block  of  wood,  hollowed 
out  with  a  primitive  form  of  adze.    It  is  hung  round  the 


68      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE    KASAI 

drummer's  shoulder  by  a  leather  strap,  and  is  thus  easily  port- 
able, and  can  be  used  in  directing  military  operations  or  for 
sending  the  chief's  orders  while  he  is  travelling.  The  words 
are  transmitted  by  a  series  of  beats,  or  rather  sharp  "  taps," 
of  a  couple  of  rubber-headed  sticks.  The  sounds  thus  pro- 
duced, though  not  very  loud,  are  very  penetrating,  so  that 
messages  can  be  easily  distinguished  at  a  distance  of  several 
miles,  and  when  passed  on  from  one  village  to  another 
(there  are  always  plenty  of  people  able  to  use  the  gong)  can 
be  sent  all  over  the  countryside  in  an  incredibly  short  space 
of  time.  The  perfection  to  which  this  system  of  signalling 
has  been  brought  by  the  Batetela  astonished  us  very  much» 
and  we  put  it  to  every  test  that  we  could  think  of.  We 
gonged  messages  from  the  Kasai  Company's  factory  to  Jadi's 
village,  always  receiving  a  reply  which  indicated  that  our 
message  had  been  correctly  sent,  and  Torday  and  I,  each 
accompanied  by  a  signaller,  on  several  occasions  carried  on 
conversations  at  a  distance  of  over  a  quarter  of  a  mile  apart 
— far  enough  to  test  the  efficacy  of  the  system.  Altogether 
the  Batetela  gong  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  instruments 
in  Central  Africa,  and,  where  villages  are  fairly  close  together 
and  so  facilitate  the  transmission  of  messages,  it  could 
easily  be  made  use  of  as  a  substitute  to  the  telegraph  lines, 
which,  of  course,  have  not  yet  made  their  appearance  so  far 
in  the  interior.  But  although  Jadi  (and  for  that  matter 
Kasongo  Batetela)  had  such  perfect  means  of  summoning 
their  warriors  and  of  directing  the  movements  of  the 
various  contingents  from  outlying  villages,  their  dispute 
came  to  an  end  without  bloodshed.  Jadi,  the  ex-soldier,, 
the  veteran  of  the  Arab  wars,  the  leader  of  so  many  warriors 


aoUNDl.Nd   TIIH   SIC;\AI.I.I.\G   GOXG. 


IN  THE  BATETELA  COUNTRY     69 

armed  with  guns — Jadi,  the  more  powerful  chief  of  the 
two,  gave  way.  Why  ?  Simply  because  his  people,  though 
in  superior  numbers,  felt  that  they  with  their  muzzle- 
loaders  would  be  no  match  for  Kasongo's  old  warriors,  who 
were  renowned  for  their  accuracy  of  aim  with  the  poisoned 
arrow.  The  young  Batetela  loves  to  take  the  road  with  his 
gun  (usually  carried  by  his  wife  or  child),  and  he  uses  the 
weapon  too  in  hunting  ;  but  he  realises  the  superiority  of 
the  veteran  archer  when  it  comes  to  the  serious  business  of 
the  battlefield.  A  good  bow  used  by  a  man  who  has  been 
brought  up  to  its  use  since  childhood  is  always  better  than 
an  inferior  muzzle-loader  in  the  hands  of  a  native  whose 
ideas  of  shooting  are  usually  extremely  rudimentary. 
Accordingly,  the  more  primitive  tribes  are  by  no  means 
necessarily  so  easy  to  tackle  as  their  neighbours  who  have 
attained  that  state  of  "  civilisation  "  which  includes  a  gun 
as  one  of  its  outward  signs.  Our  journey  to  the  Sankuru, 
therefore,  passed  off  without  incident,  and  we  reached 
Batampa  well  pleased  with  the  result  of  our  researches 
among  the  Batetela  and  with  the  collections  we  had  made 
for  the  British  Museum.  We  spent  only  a  few  days  in  the 
Kasai  Company's  factory  by  the  riverside,  and  as  soon  as 
our  old  friend  the  Velde  appeared,  bringing  stores  and  a 
European  mail  from  Dima,  we  embarked  in  her  and  de- 
parted for  Lusambo  at  noon  one  day  in  the  end  of  February 
1908. 


CHAPTER    III 

IN    A   BUSHONGO   VILLAGE 

The  run  from  Batempa  to  Lusambo,  aided  by  the  strong 
stream  of  the  Sankuru,  occupied  but  a  few  hours,  and  we 
reached  the  capital  of  the  district  of  Lualaba-Kasai  well 
before  sundown.  We  immediately  landed  our  baggage  and 
called  upon  the  Commissioner  of  the  District  to  inquire 
where  we  could  sleep.  Commandant  Gustin  courteously 
placed  a  house  at  our  disposal,  with  a  small  yard  or  garden 
at  the  back  where  we  could  pitch  our  tents,  using  the 
building  as  a  store  for  the  rest  of  our  baggage.  That 
evening,  as  it  was  too  late  to  prepare  a  meal  of  our  own, 
we  were  invited  to  dinner  with  the  Government  officials  at 
their  mess.  The  Commissioner  of  the  District,  the  officer 
commanding  the  troops,  and  the  magistrate  and  his  assist- 
ants each  take  their  meals  in  their  own  houses,  but  all  the 
other  officials  dine  in  the  mess-room,  where  Commandant 
Saut,  the  Deputy-Commissioner,  takes  the  head  of  the 
table.  This  gentleman  introduced  us  to  his  subordinates 
in  a  lengthy  and  rather  flattering  speech,  after  which  we 
sat  down  to  a  good  square  meal,  which  included  the  rare 
luxury  of  beef,  for  Lusambo  is  one  of  the  very  few  places 
in  the  Kasai  district  where  cattle  are  kept.  Next  morning 
we  wandered  round  the  Government  station.  All  the 
bungalows    are    built    of   brick    and    are   commodious   and 


IN   A   BUSHONGO   VILLAGE  71 

weatherproof;  they  are  laid  out  in  streets,  each  house 
having  its  small  garden,  the  trees  of  which  afford  a  certain 
amount  of  shade  to  the  highway.  The  house  of  the 
Commissioner  of  the  District,  which  stands  just  to  the  west 
of  the  other  buildings  upon  an  eminence  overlooking  the 
river,  is  the  only  one  which  boasts  of  an  upper  storey. 
With  the  exception  of  one  or  two  Roman  Catholic  mission- 
aries the  whole  population  of  Lusambo  is  made  up  entirely 
of  Government  officials,  including  the  Commissioner  and 
his  Deputy,  the  judge  and  his  subordinates,  a  lieutenant 
and  an  N.C.O,,  transport  officials,  armourers,  secretaries,  &c., 
to  the  total  number  of  about  fifteen.  There  are  no  ladies 
at  Lusambo.  For  the  use  of  the  Commissioner  two  or 
three  ponies  are  kept.  These  come,  I  believe,  from  the 
Welle  district,  and  a  couple  of  colts  have  been  bred  at 
Lusambo,  but,  owing  to  the  numerous  swamps  and  streams 
necessitating  log  bridges  in  the  country  round,  the  use  of 
the  horses  when  travelling  is  seldom  if  ever  resorted  to, 
and  they  appear  to  be  kept  rather  as  an  experiment  in  horse- 
breeding  than  for  actual  work,  though  of  course  they  are 
used  for  "  hacking  "  round  the  station.  In  the  course  of 
our  wanderings  round  Lusambo  we  visited  the  quarters  of 
the  native  troops,  of  whom  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  are 
kept  at  the  headquarters  of  the  district,  together  with  a 
couple  of  very  light  field  guns,  which  are  carried  in  sections 
by  porters  when  on  service.  The  men  are  very  well  housed, 
their  buildings  being  of  brick,  and  very  comfortable  com- 
pared with  the  straw  or  plaster  huts  occupied  by  soldiers 
in  remote  stations,  which,  in  turn,  are  superior  to  the 
dwellings  the  men  were  used  to  in  their  villages  before  they 


72      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

enlisted.  Some  of  the  older  men  have  furnished  their 
quarters  quite  neatly  with  substantial  beds,  upon  which 
spotless  blankets  and  sheets  of  cotton  material  are  spread, 
and  in  many  instances  crucifixes  are  to  be  found  upon  the 
walls.  One  hut  that  I  went  into  unexpectedly  to  change 
a  camera  film  was  a  perfect  model  of  cleanliness  and  order. 
The  black  population  of  Lusambo  must  be  enormous,  but 
consisting  as  it  does  of  natives  of  several  different  tribes  it 
does  not  inhabit  one  large  town,  but  a  number  of  separate 
villages  scattered  around  the  Europeans'  settlement.  Where 
the  people  of  so  many  tribes  are  brought  into  daily  contact 
with  one  another  it  is  certain  that  many  tribal  customs  are 
exchanged  among  them  or,  under  the  influence  of  the 
"civilisation"  introduced  by  the  presence  of  the  white 
officials  and  the  missionaries,  many  customs  totally  disappear. 
A  residence,  therefore,  in  a  big  centre  like  Lusambo  can 
be  of  little  value  to  any  one  desiring  to  study  the  primitive 
life  of  the  natives,  but  for  the  artist  in  search  of  models 
the  place  offers  a  wonderful  selection  of  various  negro  types. 
We  therefore  spent  some  days  at  Lusambo  giving  Hardy 
an  opportunity  of  making  some  portrait  studies  before 
going  on  to  the  eastern  part  of  the  Bushongo  country. 

Around  Lusambo  are  to  be  found  villages  inhabited 
by  Batetela,  Basonge,  Babinji,  Baluba,  and  Bushongo,  the 
latter  being  the  real  inhabitants  of  the  district.  In  addition 
to  these,  there  is  a  very  large  mixed  population  of  natives 
belonging  to  no  particular  village,  who  are  generally  termed 
Baluba  by  the  white  men  of  the  Kasai,  but  who  in  reality 
belong  to  that  tribe  no  more  than  to  any  other.  These 
people  are  the  "  undesirable  aliens "  who  frequent   nearly 


IN   A   BUSHONGO   VILLAGE  'J2> 

every  big  centre.  Their  existence  is  a  curse  to  the  Kasai 
district.  When  the  Arab  slave  raiders  were  finally  put 
down  their  slaves  had  to  find  homes  somewhere,  and 
accordingly  settled  in  places  such  as  Lusambo  ;  many  of 
them  who  had  been  born  in  slavery  or  who  had  been 
captured  as  infants  did  not  even  know  to  what  country 
they  originally  belonged  ;  they  had  no  villages ;  they  owed 
allegiance  to  no  chiefs.  They  were,  mentally,  far  below 
the  average  free  man  of  a  primitive  tribe.  These  unfor- 
tunates have  settled  in  places  like  Lusambo  and  Luebo, 
and  have  there  produced  children  of  a  type  as  debased  as 
themselves.  Add  to  this  population  the  riff-raff  of  the 
district — men  who  had  to  leave  their  village  for  the  village 
good  and  have  fled  to  the  centre  of  Government  to  avoid 
the  vengeance  of  their  chiefs,  "  domestic "  slaves  whose 
idleness  has  induced  their  masters  to  ill-treat  them,  thieves, 
murderers,  runaway  workmen  from  factories,  and  loose 
women — add  these  to  the  number  of  freed  slaves  and  you 
have  the  "  undesirable  alien "  population  of  places  like 
Lusambo. 

These  miserable  creatures  for  some  reason  or  other, 
probably  because  in  their  chequered  careers  they  have  seen 
more  of  the  world  than  the  ordinary  native  of  the  villages, 
consider  themselves  superior  to  the  simple  tribesmen,  and 
lose  no  opportunity  of  sneering  at  him  and  his  ways. 
They  despise  him  and  he  hates  and  despises  them.  Un- 
fortunately a  very  large  percentage  of  workmen  employed 
in  Government  stations  and  factories  are  drawn  from  this 
lowest  caste  of  native.  It  is  often  quite  impossible  to 
obtain  workmen   from   the   local   tribe,  so  the   agent  who 


74      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

requires  labour  has  to  recruit  it  in  some  big  centre  where 
any  number  of  these  so-called  Baluba  are  always  to  be  found 
ready  to  work  when  their  resources  are  at  an  end.  Unless 
very  carefully  watched  these  gentry  will  probably  cause 
trouble  with  the  natives  in  the  district  in  which  they  are 
employed.  In  the  cases  of  factories  being  attacked,  white 
men  murdered  or  molested,  or  some  other  "  outrage "  on 
the  part  of  the  local  natives,  which  are  by  no  means  so 
infrequent  as  might  be  supposed,  the  cause  can  nearly 
always  be  traced  to  the  white  man's  followers,  his  Baluba. 
They  are  overbearing  until  real  trouble  arises,  and  then 
they  desert  their  master  and  run.  A  sure  way  for  the 
traveller  to  find  difficulties  is  to  employ  a  large  number  of 
such  men  and  not  to  keep  them  perfectly  under  control. 
They  swagger  into  the  villages,  call  the  inhabitants  "  bush- 
men  "  (Basenshi),  and  threaten  to  turn  the  anger  of  their 
master  upon  the  people  if  they  do  not  supply  them  with 
everything  they  ask  for.  With  such  men,  too,  endless 
disputes  about  women  are  certain  to  arise.  These  so-called 
Baluba  must  not  be  confused  with  the  real  Baluba,  a  fine 
warrior  race  inhabiting  the  south-eastern  part  of  the  Belgian 
Congo.  I  have  used  for  them  the  name  by  which  they  are 
generally  known  to  the  white  men  of  the  district,  and  as 
our  work  did  not  take  us  into  the  country  of  the  real 
Baluba,  and  I  shall  therefore  have  little  or  nothing  to  say 
about  these  people,  I  have  not  tried  to  invent  a  special 
term  for  the  riif-raff  of  the  big  towns.  The  Arabs  called 
them  "  Ruga-Ruga." 

What  the  future  of  these  people  is  to  be  is  extremely 
difficult  to  imagine.     It  is  one  thing  for  the  white  man  to 


IN   A   BUSHONGO   VILLAGE  75 

introduce  his  civilisation  and  his  religion  into  a  community 
such  as  an  ordinary  native  tribe,  which  has  its  own  laws 
and  customs  often  convertible  to  those  of  a  European, 
but  it  is  quite  a  different  task  to  attempt  the  reformation 
of  a  heterogeneous  mass  of  scoundrels  to  whom  law  and 
order  are  utterly  distasteful.  If  taken  when  quite  young 
the  children  of  these  Baluba  could  doubtless  be  made  to 
grow  into  useful  members  of  society,  but  I  am  afraid  that 
until  the  present  generation  has  died  out  it  will  continue 
to  be  a  curse  to  the  country. 

I  have  mentioned  the  "  freed  "  slaves  of  the  Arabs  and 
the  "  domestic  "  slaves  of  the  natives.  It  may  not  be  out 
of  place  to  say  here  a  few  words  upon  the  great  difference 
between  the  old-time  slave  trade  and  the  system  of  domestic 
slavery  which  obtains  to-day  all  over  the  Kasai  district,  and 
which  will,  I  think,  continue  to  exist  for  a  long  time  to 
come.  The  horrors  of  the  slave  trade,  with  its  burned 
villages,  its  massacres,  and  the  terrible  sufferings  of  the 
victims  on  the  road,  are  well  known  to  most  people,  but 
many  are  apt  to  confuse  the  capture  and  sale  of  slaves  with 
the  state  of  "domestic  slavery,"  which  is,  not  infrequently, 
a  condition  by  no  means  more  terrible  than  that  of  domestic 
service  in  Europe.  Of  course  the  life  of  the  slave  in  one 
tribe  differs  considerably  from  his  lot  in  another.  Among 
the  Bankutu  of  the  great  forest,  as  I  shall  show  later  on, 
slaves  are  invariably  eaten,  and  in  many  districts  it  has  been 
customary  to  bury  slaves  alive  at  the  funeral  of  some  im- 
portant personage ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  in  the  case  of 
most  tribes,  the  master  is  obliged  to  provide  his  slave  with 
a  house  and  even  with  a  wife  ;  and  at  the  court  of  the  King 


76      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

of  the  Bushongo,  as  my  narrative  will  show,  some  of  the 
highest  positions  are  held  by  slaves,  and  cases  are  not  rare 
nowadays  of  a  slave  being  allowed  to  marry  a  free  woman. 
The  work  done  by  the  slave  of  an  ordinary  native  of  a 
primitive  tribe  appears  to  consist  solely  of  hunting,  build- 
ing, or  cultivating  for  his  master,  and  the  amount  of  it  they 
have  to  do  is  by  no  means  great.  In  fact  in  most  instances, 
I  think,  the  lot  of  a  domestic  slave  compares  favourably 
with  that  of  the  "  maid-of-all-work  "  of  a  London  suburb. 
Among  people  with  whom  gambling  is  the  besetting  sin  it 
is  quite  common  for  a  man  who  has  risked  and  lost  his  all 
to  finally  stake  his  family  and  even  his  own  liberty  upon  the 
game  and  thus  become  the  slave  of  the  winner ;  this  occurs 
frequently  among  the  Bambala  of  the  Kwilu.  There  is, 
however,  another  side  to  the  question  of  domestic  slavery 
which  has  been  brought  into  existence  by  the  low  class 
Baluba  referred  to  above.  Such  of  these  people  as  possess 
sufficient  means  will  often  purchase  a  slave  and  then 
compel  him  to  enter  the  employ  of  the  white  man.  At 
the  end  of  his  term  of  service  the  slave  has  to  hand  over 
to  his  master  all  the  goods  that  he  has  earned.  Of  course 
in  theory  all  the  slave  has  to  do  is  to  call  upon  a  Govern- 
ment official — a  magistrate,  if  there  is  one  within  reach,  or, 
failing  him,  any  chef  de  poste — who  will  at  once  tell  him  that 
his  earnings  are  his  own,  as  slavery  no  longer  exists,  and 
therefore  his  master  has  no  right  to  any  of  his  possessions  ; 
but  in  practice  this  does  not  work  out  as  well  as  it  might 
if  the  country  were  more  effectually  occupied  by  greater 
numbers  of  Government  officials.  The  slave  very  rarely 
appeals  to  the  official,  for  he  knows  that  he  would  be  ill- 


IN   A   BUSHONGO    VILLAGE  77 

treated  and  robbed  as  soon  as  he  returned  to  the  village  of 
his  master,  and  that  the  white  man  would  be  powerless  to 
prevent  this.  One  would  imagine  that  no  slave,  unless  he 
were  an  absolute  fool,  would  ever  return  within  reach  of  his 
master  when  he  has  earned  a  good  sum  in  the  white  man's 
employ,  but  as  a  rule  he  does  so,  and  therefore  it  is  largely 
his  own  fault  if  he  is  robbed.  My  own  "  boy  "  Sam  is 
a  case  in  point.  We  discovered  that  he  was  a  slave  of  a 
Bushongo  of  Lusambo,  and  we  frequently  advised  him  not 
to  return  to  Lusambo  when  he  left  our  service.  He  was 
fully  determined,  however,  to  do  so ;  he  had  a  sister  and 
many  friends  in  the  neighbourhood.  We  pointed  out  care- 
fully to  him  that  if  any  attempt  was  made  to  rob  him  of 
his  pay  he  must  at  once  call  upon  the  authorities,  and, 
before  sailing  for  Europe,  we  handed  over  the  considerable 
sum  which  he  had  earned  to  Mr.  Westcott,  the  missionary 
at  Inkongu,  who  kindly  consented  to  act  as  the  lad's  banker, 
as  we  had  done  for  the  last  two  years.  In  this  way  he 
could  scarcely  be  robbed,  but  in  the  case  of  the  ordinary 
workman  returning  from  a  factory  such  precautions  are 
well-nigh  impossible.  In  addition  to  this,  the  slave  often 
has  a  great  dislike  to  appealing  to  the  white  man  for  pro- 
tection against  his  master.  Sam  expressed  his  intention  of 
voluntarily  paying  to  his  master  the  usual  price  of  a  slave 
(not  a  large  sum),  and  in  this  we  encouraged  him,  for 
though  it  was  legally  quite  unnecessary  we  considered  the 
idea  a  very  fair  one,  as  domestic  slavery,  repugnant  as  it  is 
to  our  ideas  of  liberty,  is  one  of  the  accepted  principles  of 
negro  life,  and  we  felt  that  by  thus  redeeming  himself  the 
boy  would  be  acting  honourably  to  his  master.     The  idea 


78      LAND    AND    PEOPLES    OF    THE    KASAI 

originated  from  Sam  himself,  and,  I  think,  does  him  credit. 
The  large  centres,  such  as  Lusambo  and  Luebo,  are  hotbeds 
of  this  kind  of  slavery,  and  it  is  very  difficult,  if  not  quite 
impossible,  to  prevent  it.  When  we  remember  that  even  in 
civilised  capitals  blackguards  are  to  be  found  living  upon 
the  illgotten  gains  of  their  fellow-creatures,  and  the  best 
efforts  of  modern  police  systems  have  been  powerless  to 
stamp  out  the  evil,  it  is  perhaps  not  surprising  that  a  very 
similar  state  of  affairs  should  exist  in  the  heart  of  Africa, 
where  the  Government  is,  in  my  opinion  at  any  rate,  con- 
siderably undermanned. 

Even  to  this  day  "  razzias,"  or  raids  for  the  capture  of 
slaves,  occasionally  take  place  in  the  south-western  part 
of  the  Congo.  Usually  the  offenders  belong  to  the  Badjok 
tribe,  occupying  part  of  the  frontier  between  Angola  and 
the  Belgian  Congo,  with  whom  we  came  into  contact  at 
the  end  of  our  journey.  We  met  an  officer  who  had 
surprised  and  defeated  a  caravan  of  these  scoundrels  ;  but 
the  old-time  slave-trade  is  practically  dead  in  the  country 
of  which  I  am  writing. 

I  have  tried  to  point  out  that  slavery  in  the  Southern 
Congo  can  be  divided  into  three  kinds — the  slave  trade  as 
introduced  by  the  Arabs  ;  the  pernicious  system  of  letting 
out  slaves  existing  among  the  riff-raff  of  the  big  centres  ; 
and  the  often  innocuous  and  very  prevalent  system  of 
domestic  slavery  which  obtains  in  the  primitive  villages. 
Detailed  discussions  of  the  status  of  the  domestic  slave  in 
the  various  tribes  among  whom  Torday  has  worked  will  be 
found  in  the  scientific  record  of  this  journey  which  he  and 
Mr.  Joyce  are  publishing,    and  also   in   various   papers  by 


IN   A   BUSHONGO   VILLAGE  79 

them  which  have  appeared  in  the  Journal  of  the  Royal 
Anthropological  Institute  ;  it  will  therefore  be  unnecessary  for 
me  to  deal  at  greater  length  with  this  question  in  my  narra- 
tive of  our  wanderings  in  the  Kasai. 

The  market  of  Lusambo  is  held  every  Sunday  in  a  large 
open  space  just  to  the  north  of  the  European  quarter.  The 
crowd  is  enormous,  and,  as  is  usual  with  negro  crowds, 
rather  unpleasant  to  the  white  man's  olfactory  organ ;  but 
it  is  interesting  in  the  extreme.  Foodstuffs  preponderate 
among  the  articles  offered  for  sale,  and  these  were  of  suffi- 
cient variety  to  tempt  the  appetite  of  any  negro  gourmet  ; 
manioc,  maize,  millet,  dried  locusts,  caterpillars,  young 
rats  (in  the  pink  stage  and  held  together  on  wooden 
skewers),  and  a  host  of  other  delicacies  were  laid  out  upon 
leaves  on  the  ground,  and  around  them  eager  crowds  of 
natives  (male  and  female)  added  their  voices  to  the  general 
hum  as  they  loudly  bargained  for  their  week's  supply  of 
stores.  The  haggling  over  prices  was  keen,  but  we  saw  no 
sign  of  any  disturbance,  and  we  were  told  that  trouble  in 
the  market  is  extremely  rare.  The  buyers  and  sellers  them- 
selves varied  in  appearance  as  much  as  did  the  goods  over 
which  they  were  arguing.  One  noticed  a  tall  sergeant  from 
the  Welle,  with  an  almost  Arab  type  of  countenance,  elbow- 
ing his  way  between  red-painted,  scantily  clothed  women  of 
the  real  Baluba  people  from  across  the  Sankuru,  upon  the 
head  of  one  of  whom  a  tall  plume  of  feathers  denoted  that 
she  had  recently  given  birth  to  a  child ;  here  and  there  a 
stately  elder  of  the  local  Bushongo  tribe  could  be  seen, 
easily  distinguishable  by  his  dignified  manner  and  refined 
features  from  the  crowd  of  riff-raff  slaves  by  which  he  was 


8o      LAND   AND    PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

surrounded.  Sometimes  one  sees  in  the  market  of  Lusambo 
one  of  the  most  frightful  members  of  the  human  family,  an 
albino  negro.  We  noticed  two  of  these  freaks.  One,  a 
small  boy  with  a  deathly  white  skin  and  white  woolly  hair, 
was  not  so  ugly  as  a  grown-up  man,  whose  face  seemed  to 
possess  every  characteristic  which  exists  in  the  negro  coun- 
tenance horribly  accentuated  by  the  pallor  of  his  complexion. 
His  face  was  almost  inhuman  and,  once  seen,  is  likely 
never  to  be  forgotten. 

There  are  no  booths  or  shelters  of  any  kind  in  the 
market-place,  all  the  dealing  being  carried  on  in  the  open, 
the  wares  being  displayed  on  the  ground.  We  found  little 
to  interest  us  in  those  of  the  villages  constituting  the  native 
quarters  of  Lusambo,  which  we  found  time  to  explore  ;  they 
were  all  modern  in  design,  with  plaster  huts,  and  bore  no 
resemblance  to  the  national  form  of  village  of  the  tribes 
which  inhabited  them.  But  we  were  able  to  do  some  ethno- 
graphical work  among  the  local  branch  of  the  Bushongo  tribe, 
whose  kinsmen  of  Misumba  we  w^ere  shortly  to  visit.  A  large 
number  of  these  people  came  to  see  us  at  our  residence,  and 
Torday  lost  no  opportunity  of  interrogating  them.  One  of 
them  turned  out  to  be  a  very  old  and  important  personage — 
the  prime  minister  of  the  Bushongo  of  Lusambo.  This  old 
fellow,  now  very  decrepit  and  nearly  blind,  remembered 
perfectly  the  arrival  of  the  first  white  man  upon  the  San- 
kuru.  One  day  the  natives  of  Lusambo  had  been  terrified 
by  the  apparition  on  the  river  of  a  huge  canoe,  breathing 
fire  as  it  advanced  ;  they  fled  from  the  banks  of  the  stream, 
believing  that  some  devil  had  descended  upon  them.  Then 
they  noticed  that  one  of  the  white  men,  of  whose  existence 


IN   A    BUSHONGO   VILLAGE  8i 

they  had  heard,  was  standing  in  the  bow  of  the  vessel 
waving  cloth  to  them,  so  a  few  of  the  bolder  spirits  remained 
by  the  riverside  to  await  his  arrival.  When  the  white  man 
landed,  they  discovered  that  he  was  not  only  flesh  and 
blood,  but  agreeable  as  well,  as  our  aged  informant  quaintly 
put  it. 

Among  the  Bushongo  of  Lusambo  the  use  of  a  red  dye 
made  from  a  wood  locally  called  "  tukula  "  is  very  prevalent. 
Although,  as  is  only  natural  in  a  large  place  where  imported 
goods  are  so  easily  obtainable,  loin-cloths  of  European 
cotton-stuffs  are  to  some  extent  replacing  the  old-time 
material  made  of  the  fibre  of  the  raphia  leaf,  but  this  im- 
ported cotton  is  almost  invariably  dyed  red  with  the 
"  tukula,"  which  is  also  plentifully  applied  to  the  bodies 
and  hair  of  the  Bushongo.  It  gives  them  a  very  picturesque 
appearance.  Several  little  girls,  about  five  or  six  years  old, 
used  to  come  to  visit  us  at  meal-times,  when  we  regaled 
them  with  lumps  of  sugar  and  other  delicacies,  and  really 
very  pretty  they  were  with  white  cowrie  shells  plaited  into 
the  front  of  their  "  tukula  "  dyed  hair,  ropes  of  blue  glass 
beads  hanging  around  their  necks,  and  their  little  bodies 
freshly  covered  with  the  red  dye.  We  made  great  friends 
with  these  children,  as  indeed  we  always  endeavoured  to  do 
with  the  little  ones  of  every  village  we  visited,  and  Hardy 
painted  one  or  two  charming  portraits  of  them.  The 
tukula  is  so  commonly  used  by  all  the  Bushongo  people, 
about  whom  I  shall  have  a  good  deal  to  say  later  on,  that 
I  must  give  my  reader  some  idea  of  what  it  is  and  where 
it  comes  from.  The  tree  is  a  large  one,  growing  in  many 
parts   of  the   equatorial   forest  north  of  the  Sankuru ;    its 


82      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

wood  is  hard  and  very  heavy.  In  colour  it  is  about  maroon. 
When  rotten  the  wood  is  rubbed  into  powder  on  a  stone 
and  then,  mixed  with  oil,  is  applied  to  the  hair,  body,  or 
clothes.  We  brought  home  several  small  logs  of  this  wood, 
after  our  journey  in  the  forest,  and  it  appears  to  be  cam- 
wood. I  have  had  a  little  of  it  made  up  into  small  articles 
of  furniture,  and  it  is  certainly  very  ornamental,  but  its 
great  weight  prevents  large  pieces  of  it  being  brought  to 
the  river,  where  only  human  portage  is  available.  The 
Bushongo  to  the  south  of  the  Sankuru  import  large  quanti- 
ties of  their  wood  from  the  tribes  of  the  great  forest. 
While  at  Lusambo  we  made  friends  with  a  very  intelligent 
lad  belonging  to  the  Bushongo  tribe,  and  we  were  anxious 
to  engage  him  as  an  additional  "  boy,"  with  a  view  to 
obtaining  further  information  from  him  about  the  manners 
and  customs  of  his  people.  One  of  our  servants  noticed, 
however,  that  the  glands  behind  his  ears  were  slightly 
swollen,  an  early  symptom  of  sleeping  sickness,  so  we  could 
not  imperil  the  rest  of  our  party  by  taking  him  with  -us. 
None  of  the  Bushongo,  as  I  was  presently  able  to  discover, 
are  famous  for  their  skill  in  hunting,  and  therefore  they,  in 
common  with  other  peoples  who  live  around  Lusambo, 
employ  a  race  of  dwarfs,  known  as  the  Batwa,  to  kill  game 
for  them  in  the  forest.  These  people  are  extremely 
interesting,  and  we  were  fortunate  enough  to  meet  with 
a  party  of  them  while  staying  at  Lusambo.  They  very 
rarely  visit  the  centre  of  government,  but  one  of  the  chiefs 
who  employs  them  had  been  requested  to  bring  a  few  to 
see  us.  This  he  did  with  some  difficulty,  for  the  Batwa  are 
true  children  of  the  forest,  and  hate  the  crowds  and  bustle 


IN   A   BUSHONGO   VILLAGE  83 

of  Lusambo,  but  he  could  not  induce  them  to  stay  more 
than  one  day,  and  the  most  extravagant  offers  on  our  part 
failed  to  persuade  one  of  them  to  accompany  us  in  the 
capacity  of  hunter.  Six  Batwa,  all  full-grown  men,  came 
to  see  us.  They  appeared  to  vary  from  about  four  feet 
eight  inches  to  five  feet  in  height,  and  looked  extremely 
wiry.  Their  costumes  consisted  of  a  couple  of  monkey 
skins  suspended  from  their  belts,  one  in  front  and  one 
behind,  so  that  the  tails  dragged  upon  the  ground,  and 
they  wore  tiny  antelope  horns  as  charms  around  their  necks. 
Each  carried  a  bow  and  a  bundle  of  poisoned  arrows 
"  feathered  "  with  simple  leaves.  They  were  very  reticent 
in  talking  to  us,  but  when  we  suggested  a  little  archery 
practice  in  the  back  garden  they  brightened  up  considerably. 
We  put  up  a  small  lemon  (some  two  inches  in  diameter) 
to  serve  as  a  mark,  and  the  shooting  was  conducted  at 
a  range  of  about  fifteen  yards.  The  accuracy  of  their  aim 
was  astonishing,  and  they  appeared  to  thoroughly  enjoy 
the  proceedings,  chaffing  the  man  whose  arrow  flew  a  few 
inches  wide  of  the  lemon,  and  applauding  with  grunts 
the  successful  shot.  These  people  have  no  settled  villages, 
living  a  nomad's  life  in  the  forest,  sleeping  under  temporary 
shelters  built  of  leaves,  and  moving  their  camp  according 
to  the  movements  of  game.  They  supply  their  overlord 
with  meat.  Their  success  in  hunting  is  largely  due  to  the 
extraordinary  skill  with  which  they  can  creep  up  to  within 
a  few  yards  of  a  sleeping  animal  and  then  carefully  place 
a  poisoned  arrow,  to  the  deadly  effects  of  which  the  beast 
shortly  succumbs.  I  noticed  that  the  knees  of  some  of  the 
Batwa  who  visited  us  were  worn  as  if  by  much  crawling. 


84     LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE    KASAI 

In    addition   to    larger    game   they    kill    great    numbers   of 
monkeys  and  birds  with  their  arrows. 

Near  Misumba  we  came  across  other  settlements  of 
these  Batwa,  but  south  of  the  Sankuru  they  attain  to  a 
greater  stature  than  those  who  inhabit  the  great  forest,  and 
Torday,  at  his  lecture  at  the  Royal  Geographical  Society, 
has  pointed  out  that  this  may  very  probably  be  due  to  the 
more  open,  and  therefore  more  airy  and  sunny,  nature  of 
their  surroundings.  The  Bushongo  are  firm  in  the  belief 
that  the  forest  trees  opened  and  gave  birth  to  the  original 
Batwa ;  one  of  the  quaint  legends  which  make  the  folk-lore 
of  the  Bushongo  so  interesting.  About  this  time,  when  we 
were  desirous  of  moving  on  from  Lusambo  to  the  country 
of  the  eastern  Bushongo,  a  small  Government  steamer  was 
about  to  go  down  the  Sankuru  to  take  an  official  to  Luebo. 
Commandant  Gustin  kindly  gave  us  permission  to  travel  in 
this  vessel,  thus  saving  us  the  extra  time  which  a  canoe 
journey  would  have  entailed.  We  therefore,  after  only 
a  brief  stay  at  the  chief  town  of  the  Kasai  district,  con- 
tinued our  journey,  glad  to  move  on  to  a  spot  more  suitable 
for  our  work,  but  remembering  with  gratitude  the  hospi- 
tality which  had  been  accorded  to  us  by  the  Commissioner 
of  the  District  and  his  subordinates.  The  Schlagerstrom 
(the  vessel  in  which  we  travelled)  was  in  reality  nothing 
but  a  launch  in  which  there  was  only  sufficient  sleeping 
accommodation  for  the  captain  and  the  Government  official 
who  was  going  to  Luebo.  We  therefore  encamped  by  the 
riverside  when  the  vessel  was  moored  for  the  night,  a 
proceeding  to  which  our  weary  voyage  from  Dima  to 
Batempa  had  well  accustomed  us.     We  stopped  at  a  little 


/'I   ''^^j^^H^EI' 

■7 

'^  'Ifi^^E 

Bl 

1^91 

1 

H|j|g^_^^M^B^| 

^^^^HEyni  Jt 

jL'vJfjH 

MUi 

8> 

^^ 

BaTWA    Ii\VARI-\S. 


A    STREET    IN    MlSUMKA. 


IN   A   BUSHONGO   VILLAGE  85 

fuel-station  called  Gandu  (or  "  crocodile "),  on  the  left 
bank  of  the  river  a  few  miles  below  the  now  disused  trading 
post  of  Isaka  (which  is  marked  upon  the  map  accompany- 
ing this  volume),  and  here  Hardy  disembarked  with  most 
of  our  baggage,  leaving  Torday  and  me  to  proceed  a  little 
farther  in  the  steamer  to  search  for  the  burial-place  of  an 
Englishman  who  had  perished  in  the  Sankuru  some  years 
before.  Commandant  Gustin  had  requested  us  to  try  and 
find  the  exact  locality  of  the  grave  amid  the  ruins  of  the 
factory,  to  clear  it  of  grass,  and  to  secure  photos  of  the 
spot  to  be  sent  to  the  dead  man's  family.  Upon  reaching 
the  site  of  the  factory,  however,  we  were  unable  in  the 
time  at  our  disposal  to  find  out  exactly  where  the  grave 
was  situated,  and  we  could  see  no  local  native  fisherman, 
who  would  doubtless  have  been  able  to  take  us  straight  to 
the  place  ;  we  therefore  had  to  return  to  Hardy,  unsuccess- 
ful in  our  search. 

The  voyage  on  the  Schlagerstrom  was  by  no  means  un- 
pleasant, and  we  struck  up  quite  a  friendship  with  the 
captain,  a  German  who  had  served  in  the  Kaiser's  navy  on 
board,  I  believe,  the  royal  yacht.  This  man  was  extremely 
fond  of  animals,  and  his  pet  at  the  time  we  knew  him  was 
an  ordinary  and  very  skinny  domestic  chicken  !  The  bird 
used  to  perch  upon  his  boot  as  he  sat  with  his  knees  crossed 
directing  his  helmsman  from  his  easy  chair,  and  took  all  its 
food  from  his  hand.  A  few  months  later  the  Schlagerstrom^ 
her  captain,  and  all  her  crew  (with  the  exception  of  one 
man)  were  hurled  to  eternity  down  the  falls  of  the  Congo 
just  below  Stanley  Pool.  A  terrible  end  for  a  man  whose 
kindly  nature  and  unassuming  manners  made  him  univer- 


86      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE    KASAI 

sally  popular  among  the  Europeans  with  whom  he  came  in 
contact,  and  who  was  deservedly  liked  by  his  native  crew. 
When  Hardy  landed  at  Gandu,  we  had  despatched  a 
messenger  to  the  Kasai  Company's  agent  at  Misumba 
requesting  him  to  ask  the  local  Bushongo  chief  to  send 
porters  to  carry  our  loads  to  the  village,  so  we  had  not  long 
to  wait  at  the  fuel-station  before  the  men  arrived.  We  had 
heard  that  buffalo  and  elephant  existed  in  fair  numbers 
around  Misumba,  so  we  were  in  high  hopes  of  obtaining 
some  shooting,  hopes  which  were  still  further  raised  when 
the  porters  told  us  that  an  elephant  had  been  killed  by 
means  of  a  trap  in  the  neighbourhood  not  long  before,  and 
when,  in  the  village  at  which  we  broke  our  journey  to 
Misumba,  we  v/ere  shown  the  tomb  of  a  man  who  had  held 
a  great  reputation  as  an  elephant  hunter.  Marching  at  a 
fair  pace  a  European  can  reach  Misumba  from  Gandu  in 
one  long  day  ;  but  we  preferred  to  halt  for  the  night  at  the 
village  of  Zappo-Lubumba,  a  Basongo-Meno  settlement  about 
seven  or  eight  miles  south  of  the  river  on  the  edge  of  the 
great  grassy  plains  that  lie  behind  the  belt  of  woodland  which 
clothes  the  banks  of  the  Sankuru.  The  track  through  the 
forest  is  considerably  broken  by  swamps,  some  of  them  of 
sufficient  width  to  necessitate  the  use  of  a  dug-out.  For 
a  time  no  canoe  could  be  obtained,  for  the  people  of  Zappo- 
Lubumba  were  evidently  not  disposed  to  be  very  friendly, 
but  at  last,  after  sending  several  messengers  to  him,  we  pre- 
vailed upon  the  chief  to  cause  his  subjects  to  ferry  us  over 
the  water,  and  we  pitched  our  tents  that  night  in  the  broad, 
picturesque  street  of  his  village.  These  Basongo-Meno  of 
the  left  bank  of  the  Sankuru  belong  to  the  great  tribe  of 


IN   A   BUSHONGO   VILLAGE  87 

that  name  who  inhabit  the  right  bank  of  the  Kasai  and 
Sankuru.  They  have  adopted  Bushongo  dress  and  ways, 
and  to  outward  appearance  differ  in  no  respect  from  the 
Bushongo  inhabitants  of  Misumba,  but  between  the  two 
villages  there  is  a  good  deal  of  ill-feeling  and  their  inhabi- 
tants rarely  exchange  visits.  At  Misumba  we  heard  dark 
tales  of  border  warfare  between  them  :  how  in  the  dead  of 
the  night,  usually  during  a  tornado,  the  Basongo-Meno 
would  creep  into  outlying  Bushongo  villages  and  murder 
the  people  as  they  slept,  the  noise  of  their  coming  passing 
unnoticed  in  the  roar  of  the  storm,  and  the  rain  removing 
all  traces  of  the  direction  of  their  flight  should  pursuit  be 
attempted  in  the  morning.  The  Basongo-Meno,  even  here 
to  the  south  of  the  river,  are  by  no  means  friendly  to  the 
European,  but  they  are  not  sufficiently  numerous  to  oppose 
him  as  effectually  as  have  their  brethren  on  the  right  bank, 
whose  ferocity  has  caused  their  country  to  be  a  terra 
incognita  to  the  white  man  even  to  this  day. 

Next  morning  we  proceeded  to  march  the  sixteen  or 
seventeen  miles  through  the  plains  that  lay  between  Zappo- 
Lubumba  and  Misumba.  The  day  was  extremely  hot  and 
the  road  for  the  most  part  entirely  devoid  of  shade,  so  our 
faces  soon  began  to  wear  that  peculiar  sneering  grin  which 
intense  heat  produces  by  contracting  the  skin  on  the  cheeks. 
We  were  not  without  music  on  the  way,  for  one  of  the 
porters  had  made  a  horn  of  the  stem  of  a  pawpaw  tree  upon 
which  he  attempted  some  ghastly  imitations  of  bugle  calls, 
learned,  doubtless,  at  Lusambo.  This  pawpaw  stem  was 
capable  of  producing  quite  a  clear  note  like  that  of  a  coach 
horn.     The  track  through  the   plains  was  of  the  ordinary 


88      LAND   AND    PEOPLES   OF   THE    KASAI 

native  kind  ;  that  is  to  say,  it  was  only  a  few  inches  wide  and 
very  tortuous,  for  the  negro  will  always  walk  round  a  stick 
dropped  on  the  path  rather  than  kick  it  out  of  his  way,  and 
accordingly  everything  dropped  on  the  road  causes  a  fresh 
bend  to  appear  in  the  way.  About  midway  between  Zappo's 
village  and  Misumba,  a  mile  or  so  to  the  west  of  the  road, 
we  noticed  for  the  first  time  one  of  the  volcanic  crevices 
which  are  quite  a  feature  of  this  country.  Seen  from  the 
track  the  earth  upon  the  side  of  a  grassy  slope  appears  to 
have  been  cut  away  as  if  with  a  gigantic  shovel,  leaving  a 
quarry-like  excavation  about  two  hundred  feet  deep,  and  a 
little  over  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  length.  The  earth  in  this 
hole  was  red  in  colour,  and  at  the  base  of  it  was  an  extensive 
patch  of  woodland  containing,  as  I  learned  later  when  ex- 
ploring the  place,  a  lake.  There  is  a  queer  legend  concern- 
ing the  origin  of  this  crevice.  About  seventy  years  ago  a 
chief  of  Misumba  was  proceeding  to  Zappo-Lubumba  to 
attend  some  important  ceremony,  and  on  the  way  he  en- 
countered two  dwarfs,  who  instead  of  saluting  him  with  that 
respect  which  a  chief  of  the  aristocratic  Bushongo  people  con- 
sidered his  due,  passed  him  by  without  so  much  as  a  word. 
The  chief,  in  anger,  had  them  stopped  and  brought  before 
him.  On  being  asked  why  they  had  failed  to  salute  so 
important  a  personage  they  gave  some  impertinent  answer 
which  so  angered  the  chief's  escort  that  they  killed  the 
dwarfs  forthwith.  No  sooner  were  they  slain  than  the 
chief  fell  down  dead.  The  dwarfs  had  been  wizards.  The 
Bushongo  who  were  accompanying  the  chief  were  naturally 
infuriated  at  their  master's  death,  and,  imagining  that  the 
Basongo-Meno   people  had   sent  the   wizards  to   kill  him, 


IN    A   BUSHONGO   VILLAGE  89 

they  hastened  on  to  Zappo's  village,  and  there  took 
vengeance  by  stealing  goats.  On  their  way  home  they  were 
startled  to  find  that  the  chiefs  body  had  vanished,  and  that 
a  mountain  had  arisen  where  it  had  lain  by  the  roadside  ! 
Not  very  long  afterwards  a  second  Bushongo  chief  passed 
along  the  same  track.  When  he  reached  the  newly  made 
hill  he  paused  and  poured  out  the  vials  of  his  v/rath  upon  it, 
cursing  it  with  a  fine  flow  of  Bushongo  rhetoric ;  a  peal  of 
supernatural  laughter  interrupted  him,  and  in  a  moment 
the  hill  had  disappeared,  swallowing  up  the  second  chief  and 
leaving  in  its  place  the  crevice  and  lake  which  now  exist  on 
the  spot.  Such  is  the  legend  of  the  earthquake  as  told 
to-day  at  Misumba.  During  our  stay  in  this  country  we 
felt  one  slight  shock  on  April  i,  1908,  and  this  same 
shock  was  felt  in  the  great  forest  as  far  north  as  the  Lomela 
River  within  a  few  hours  of  the  same  time.  Crevices  such 
as  the  one  I  have  described  are  quite  common  in  this  country, 
usually  marking  the  sources  of  small  streams.  After  search- 
ing for  about  fourteen  miles  we  passed,  but  did  not  enter,  a 
small  village  inhabited  by  the  Batwa  who  hunt  for  the  chief 
of  Misumba,  and  then  entered  a  patch  of  woodland  which 
was  very  swampy,  and  had  to  be  crossed  on  a  roughly 
made  log  bridge.  Immediately  upon  regaining  the  open 
country  we  entered  the  village  of  Misumba.  We  found 
that  the  factory  of  the  Kasai  Company  lay  between  two 
portions  of  the  village  adjoining  both,  so  we  pitched  our 
tents  opposite  to  the  agent's  bungalow  and  accepted  his 
offer  of  a  room  wherein  to  work,  for  we  felt  that  we  could 
not  possibly  be  more  in  the  village  if  we  actually  camped  in 
the  street.     Almost   as  soon  as  we  arrived  two  important 


90      LAND   AND    PEOPLES   OF   THE    KASAI 

personages  called  upon  us — Pongo-Pongo,  recognised  by 
Government  as  chief  of  Misumba,  and  Isambula  N'Genga, 
viceroy  of  the  Bangongo  sub-tribe  of  the  Bushongo  (of  which 
Misumba  is  the  capital),  under  the  great  paramount  chief  of 
the  nation  who  resides  at  the  Mushenge  or  capital,  five  days' 
march  to  the  west.  It  struck  us  as  being  a  little  remarkable 
that  these  two  men  should  appear  to  be  on  such  excellent 
terms  with  one  another,  and  more  remarkable  still  that  the 
"  chief,"  who  wore  around  his  neck  the  Government  badge 
of  authority  (a  white  metal  disc  on  a  chain),  should  treat 
Isambula  N'Genga  with  obvious  deference,  but  the  matter 
soon  explained  itself. 

The  ruler  of  the  great  Bushongo  nation  is  Kwete  Peshanga 
Kena,  the  Nyimi,  or  king,  who  resides  at  the  Mushenge. 
To  facilitate  the  government  of  his  people  he  (or  rather  one 
of  his  ancestors)  has  appointed  viceroys  of  the  outlying 
sub-tribes,  who  possess  practically  unlimited  powers  and 
who  pay  tribute  to  the  Nyimi.  Isambula  N'Genga  is  the 
viceroy  and  real  ruler  of  the  Bangongo  sub-tribe.  In  order 
to  save  himself  trouble  the  viceroy  has  appointed  one  of 
his  elders  (Pongo-Pongo)  to  act  as  his  representative  in 
dealing  with  the  Belgian  Government.  When  an  officer 
went  round  the  country  to  meet  and  officially  "  recognise  " 
the  local  chiefs  he  met  Pongo-Pongo,  Isambula  N'Genga 
keeping  in  the  background.  Pongo-Pongo  represented 
himself  as  the  chief,  and  received  the  official  medallion,  but 
in  reality  he  is  no  more  the  chief  of  Misumba  than  any  of 
the  other  dignitaries  who  are  subordinate  to  the  viceroy. 
He  is  merely  a  sort  of  minister  for  foreign  affairs,  and  acts 
as  a  buffer  between  the  chief  and  the  State.     Should  the 


MiSCMHA. 


IN   A    BUSHONGO   VILLAGE  91 

Bangongo  incur  the  displeasure  of  the  Government,  Pongo- 
Pongo  would  have  to  bear  the  brunt  of  it ;  should  the  re- 
presentative of  the  State  give  him  any  presents,  I  believe 
that  he  hands  them  over  to  the  viceroy.  Pongo-Pongo, 
therefore,  has  a  somewhat  thankless  task,  for  he  would  have 
absolutely  no  power  to  prevent  Isambula  N'Genga  doing 
anything  for  which  he  himself  would  be  punished. 

This  system  of  appointing  some  ordinary  person  to 
pose  as  chief  before  Government  officials  is  very  common 
in  the  Belgian  Congo  (as  doubtless  in  other  parts  of 
Africa  as  well),  and  arises  from  the  too  hasty  recognition 
of  chiefs  by  officials  who  have  had  no  opportunity  of 
learning  much  about  the  peoples  whose  country  they  are 
supposed  to  administer.  Pongo-Pongo  was  evidently 
told  off  by  the  viceroy  to  attend  to  our  business  during 
our  stay  at  Misumba,  and  although  we  saw  a  good  deal 
of  the  real  chief  and  became  very  friendly  with  him,  we 
owe  most  of  the  information  we  obtained  to  the  readiness 
v/ith  which  Pongo-Pongo  answered  the  questions  Torday 
put  to  him  about  his  tribe.  Isambula  N'Genga  was  a 
real  dandy.  We  nicknamed  him  "  Beau  Brummell." 
When  sauntering  about  his  village  accompanied  by  one 
or  two  slaves  he  was  the  very  personification  of  super- 
cilious vanity.  All  the  "  elders "  of  Misumba  carry,  as 
a  sort  of  wand  of  office,  a  walking-stick  around  which 
some  creeper  has  left  a  special  mark.  These  sticks  add 
considerably  to  the  grand  air  with  which  these  gentlemen 
strut  about  the  village.  When  used  as  walking-sticks 
they  are  held  at  arm's  length  in  an  attitude  very  sug- 
gestive of  the  English  dandies  of  a  century  ago ;  at  other 


92      LAND   AND    PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

times  they  are  carried  across  the  shoulders,  the  hands 
hanging  idly  over  the  ends  of  the  sticks.  The  sticks 
themselves  are  regarded  v^^ith  some  respect,  doubtless 
reflected  from  the  grandeur  of  their  owners,  by  the 
common  people  of  the  village,  for  if  an  elder  leaves  his 
wand  across  the  doorway  of  a  hut  which  he  has  entered 
no  one  dares  to  cross  the  threshold  till  the  stick  has 
been  removed.  Of  all  the  dandies  of  Misumba,  Isam- 
bula  N'Genga  was  the  most  exquisite.  He  was  always 
faultlessly  "  tukulaed,"  his  hair  evidently  gave  his  wives 
infinite  trouble  every  morning,  he  was  scrupulously 
shaved,  and  his  dress,  a  long  loin-cloth  of  raphia  fibre 
arranged  carefully  in  many  folds,  was  invariably  clean  and 
neat.  He  appeared  almost  too  bored  to  live,  and  was 
much  too  indolent  to  be  of  any  great  service  to  Torday 
when  he  desired  to  obtain  information  about  the  Bushongo. 
At  the  same  time  Isambula  N'Genga  was  as  civil  to  us 
as  he  could  summon  up  energy  to  be,  and  doubtless  if 
he  had  not  been  friendly  we  should  not  have  got  on 
half  so  well  with  his  people  as  we  did. 

We  took  an  early  opportunity  of  exploring  the  village 
of  Misumba.  Two  points  struck  us  as  remarkable  directly 
we  entered  the  village  streets — firstly,  the  fact  that  every 
one  was  busy  ;  and  secondly,  the  entire  absence  of  any  out- 
ward sign  of  the  presence  of  the  white  man  in  the  country. 
Usually  upon  arriving  in  an  African  village  one  finds  that, 
although  the  women  are  busy  enough  working  in  the 
fields,  pounding  manioc  into  flour  or  looking  after  the 
children,  the  men  are  sleeping  or  idling  away  their  time 
beneath   the   shade   of   the   palms.       At    Misumba    things 


Emiskoidkrinc;  thk  raimua  ('i.oih. 


IN   A    BUSHONGO   VILLAGE  93 

are  very  different.  In  the  midst  of  the  long  wide  streets 
are  situated  many  sheds  under  which  work  of  all  sorts  is 
going  on.  In  one  of  them  the  blacksmith — a  much  re- 
spected member  of  the  community — may  be  seen  at  all 
hours  busily  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  the  broad- 
bladed  Bushongo  knives,  arrows,  and  spear-heads,  iron 
bracelets,  &c.,  while  around  him  are  clustered  many 
bright-eyed  smiling  children,  clothed  in  nature's  garb, 
who  love  to  catch  the  sparks  that  fly  and  eagerly  await 
a  turn  at  manipulating  the  primitive  hand-bellows  with 
which  the  small  fire  is  fanned.  Around  the  sides  of  the 
shed  old  men  squat,  gravely  smoking  green  tobacco  in 
their  long  curved  pipes  of  neatly  carved  wood,  talking 
over  local  politics  with  the  smith,  whose  opinion  is, 
apparently,  worth  taking  on  any  subject. 

Beneath  the  shade  of  other  similar  structures  men  are 
always  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  cloth  from  the 
fibre  of  the  raphia  leaf,  and  continuous  '*  thud-thud  "  of 
the  hand-looms  tells  that  work  is  in  progress  from  early 
morning  till  dark.  Basket-makers  and  men  working  at 
the  manufacture  of  hunting  nets  are  to  be  found  in  every 
patch  of  shade,  while  here  and  there  a  man  is  to  be  seen 
decorating  wooden  cups  or  boxes  with  those  elaborate  and 
really  artistic  carvings  of  which  many  specimens  are  now  in 
the  British  Museum.  So  much  for  the  men.  The  women, 
in  addition  to  their  ordinary  agricultural  and  household 
duties,  spend  a  good  deal  of  time  in  embroidering  with 
coloured  patterns  the  raphia  cloth  woven  by  the  men. 
This  embroidery  is  of  a  very  high  order,  some  old  pieces 
which  we  collected   later  being   extraordinarily  fine  ;    they 


94      LAND   AND    PEOPLES    OF    THE   KASAI 

are  now  to  be  seen  in  the  British  Museum.  The  children 
attend  to  the  goats  and  chickens,  the  only  live  stock 
(with  the  exception  of  dogs)  kept  at  Misumba.  Any  one 
who  has  travelled  in  Africa  and  has  been  struck  with 
the  indolence  of  the  negro,  would  be  considerably  sur- 
prised were  he  to  visit  Misumba.  Except  the  very  aged, 
every  one  appeared  to  have  something  to  do.  We  could 
not  help  feeling  at  the  time  of  our  visit  what  a  pity  it 
is  that  up  to  now  no  suitable  industry  has  been  intro- 
duced among  a  people  so  skilful  with  their  hands  as  the 
Bushongo.  I  am  sure  that  if  once  some  useful  and 
congenial  manufacture  were  introduced  at  Misumba  the 
people  would  show  themselves  to  be  remarkably  clever 
workmen.  It  is  difficult  to  suggest  a  suitable  industry, 
but  I  should  think  that  the  manufacture  of  wooden 
articles  would  appeal  to  the  native  if  tactfully  intro- 
duced. The  Bushongo  are,  however,  extremely  conser- 
vative, and  would  probably  be  slow  to  adopt  any  new 
enterprise.  Their  conservatism  is  manifested  by  their 
complete  disregard  of  the  ways  of  the  white  man  and 
his  "  Baluba  "  employees,  although  the  Kasai  Company's 
factory  is  situated  actually  within  their  village  (or  rather 
was  so  situated  in  1908,  but  I  believe  there  was  some 
talk  of  its  removal  to  the  banks  of  the  Lubudi  River 
about  six  miles  to  the  west). 

Among  the  Batetela  people  of  the  Lubefu,  as  I  have 
shown,  European  cotton-stuff  has  practically  taken  the 
place  of  the  old-time  raphia  cloth,  and  plaster  buildings 
are  fast  replacing  the  original  native  huts ;  among  the 
eastern    Bushongo,    however,    no    such    change    is    taking 


IN   A    BUSHONGO   VILLAGE  95 

place.  One  very  rarely  sees  trade  cloth  worn  at  Misumba, 
the  people  preferring  to  manufacture  their  own  material, 
which  is  much  more  durable  and  very  little  rougher  in 
texture.  All  the  dwellings  in  the  village  consist  of  the 
picturesque  Bushongo  huts  which  add  so  much  to  the 
neatness  and  beauty  of  the  place.  They  are  rectangular 
buildings  about  ten  feet  by  nine  feet  in  size,  made  of 
sticks  cut  from  the  stem  of  the  palm  leaf,  and  upon 
their  walls  neat  patterns  are  interwoven  in  black  fibre 
representing  some  form  of  what  is  known  as  the 
"lozenge"  pattern.  They  are  usually  very  neat  and 
in  good  repair.  Upon  several  occasions  when  shooting 
at  some  distance  from  Misumba  I  have  slept  in  these 
huts,  and  I  found  them  completely  weatherproof  even 
during  the  heavy  storms  of  the  rainy  season.  Before 
sleeping  in  one  of  them  it  is  necessary  to  be  sure  that 
the  owner  has  not  prepared  for  your  arrival  by  brushing 
out  the  hut,  for,  should  he  have  done  so,  he  will  pro- 
bably have  disturbed  a  number  of  inhabitants,  other  than 
human,  who  may  cause  you  to  regret  having  left  your 
tent  behind  ;  but  it  is  only  fair  to  say  that  the  Bushongo 
are  a  very  cleanly  race  on  the  whole.  The  houses  are 
as  similar  to  one  another  in  their  internal  arrangement  as 
in  their  outward  appearance.  The  doors  are  very  small, 
and  the  bed,  consisting  of  a  mat  laid  over  a  rough 
frame  of  logs,  is  always  situated  on  the  left-hand  side 
of  the  entrance  as  you  go  in.  A  fire  of  logs  usually 
occupies  the  middle  of  the  house,  and  a  large  square 
box,  acting  as  a  larder,  is  suspended  in  one  corner  to 
keep  the  food  supply  out  of  the  reach  of  rats  and  mice. 


96      LAND   AND    PEOPLES   OF   THE    KASAI 

Sticks  are  thrust  into  the  walls  from  which  to  suspend 
baskets,  cooking  pots,  and  other  utensils,  while  the 
corners  are  filled  with  hunting  nets,  bows  and  arrows, 
and  spears.  Most  of  the  huts  have  some  small  charm 
such  as  a  little  curved  figure  stuck  in  the  wall  under 
the  eaves  outside  the  door.  The  huts  are  laid  out  in 
fine  straight  streets,  about  thirty  yards  wide ;  and  built 
as  it  is  upon  the  edge  of  a  wood  and  containing  a  fair 
number  of  palm  trees,  Misumba  must  rank  as  one  of 
the  neatest  and  prettiest  villages  we  visited.  We  were 
soon  hard  at  work  among  the  natives.  One  of  the  first 
things  that  Torday  did  was  to  examine  the  Batwa,  who 
hunt  for  the  chief  of  Misumba.  These  people,  although 
smaller  than  the  stalwart  Bushongo,  are  considerably 
larger  than  those  we  had  seen  at  Lusambo,  and  they 
appear  to  have  largely  adopted  the  manners  and  customs 
of  the  Bushongo.  I  went  out  with  them  upon  several 
occasions  in  the  hopes  of  obtaining  a  shot  at  some  buffalo 
which  used  to  feed  in  the  plains  between  Misumba  and 
Zappo-Lubumba,  but  I  did  not  get  a  chance  of  testing 
their  nerve  when  tackling  dangerous  game,  for  we  were 
unable  to  come  up  with  the  beasts ;  from  what  I  saw  of 
their  tracking,  however,  I  consider  them  the  inferiors 
of  many  natives  I  have  hunted  with,  and  I  have  no 
doubt  that  they  cannot  compare  with  the  Batwa  of  the 
great  forest  in  the  matter  of  stalking  and  shooting  game. 
Torday  was  at  great  pains  to  obtain  a  vocabulary  from 
these  people,  and  one  of  the  men  he  interrogated  caused 
us  some  amusement.  He  had  been  requested  to  answer 
clearly   the   words   that   Torday   put   to   him   (using   as   a 


IN   A   BUSHONGO   VILLAGE  97 

medium  the  Chituba  language),  and  so  he  sat  opposite  to 
him  on  the  other  side  of  a  small  camp  table  and  roared 
out  his  replies  at  the  top  of  a  remarkably  powerful  voice. 
Frequently  he  would  pause  and  exchange  pleasantries  with 
a  number  of  natives  who  were  present,  and  this  caused 
such  an  interruption  of  work  that  we  were  obliged  to 
drive  the  spectators  away  by  threatening  them  with  the 
contents  of  a  glass  of  water.  The  prospect  of  having 
the  water  thrown  over  them  caused  them  to  run  out 
into  the  pouring  rain  (a  real  tornado)  to  avoid  it  !  The 
vocabulary  proceeded  well  until  we  came  to  the  numerals. 
Here  a  real  difficulty  arose.  Our  informant  was  no 
mathematician.  He  insisted  upon  counting  i,  2,  5,  3, 
8,  10,  7,  &c.  &c.,  and  we  could  not  induce  him  to 
count  consecutively ;  I  firmly  beheve  that  he  was  quite 
unable  to  do  so.  It  is,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  by  no 
means  so  uncommon  to  find  the  primitive  negro  unable 
to  count  beyond  the  number  "  five,"  up  to  which 
numeral  his  fingers  and  thumb  act  as  a  guide  to  his 
calculations. 

Although  the  Batwa  are  the  real  hunters  of  Misumba, 
the  Bushongo  themselves  very  frequently  indulge  in  a  little 
sport  (if  so  their  hunting  can  be  termed),  for  Pongo-Pongo 
possesses  two  muzzle-loaders,  and  dearly  loves  an  oppor- 
tunity of  displaying  them.  I  accompanied  him  upon  one  of 
his  shooting  excursions  near  the  village.  The  day  was  very 
hot,  and  a  start  was  not  made  until  nearly  noon.  This 
should  have  shown  me  that  I  was  not  likely  to  get  many 
shots  myself,  as,  of  course,  all  game  would  long  since  have 
sought  the  shade  of  the  dense  woodlands,  in  which   one's 


98      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

chance  of  bagging  it  with  the  rifle  is  very  small ;  but  I  was 
anxious  to  watch  the  Batwa  and  Bushongo  hunting  in  their 
own  way,  so  I  was  glad  of  the  opportunity  of  accompanying 
them.  We  left  the  village  amid  considerable  noise,  several 
members  of  the  party  performing  a  sort  of  "  A-hunting  we 
will  go  "  upon  horns  made  from  the  points  of  young  elephant 
tusks,  and  others  giving  vent  to  the  Bushongo  war-cry,  a 
sound  suggestive  of  both  a  "  view  holloa  "  and  the  neighing 
of  a  horse.  We  numbered  about  fifty  altogether  (including 
some  sportsmen  of  very  tender  years),  and  were  accompanied 
by  some  twenty  of  the  tan-and-white  prick-eared  dogs  which 
are  to  be  found  in  every  Congo  village.  Pongo-Pongo 
carried  one  of  his  muzzle-loaders,  while  the  second  one  was 
entrusted  to  a  slave  who  walked  behind  him.  The  rest  of 
the  party  were  armed  only  with  bows  and  arrows  and  spears, 
while  several  of  them  carried  the  long  nets  into  which  the 
game  was  to  be  driven.  About  three-quarters  of  an  hour's 
walk  brought  us  to  the  side  of  the  wood  in  which  we  were 
to  commence  operations.  Here  a  consultation  was  held  as 
to  the  arrangements  for  the  "  beat."  This  was  conducted 
with  all  possible  noise,  and  should  have  been  sufficient  to 
warn  any  animal  within  a  radius  of  a  mile  or  two  that  some- 
thing very  desperate  in  the  way  of  hunting  parties  was  about 
to  be  held.  One  man  who,  as  we  subsequently  discovered, 
held  an  official  position  as  chief  hunter  in  the  village,  at  last 
succeeded  in  shouting  down  the  others  and  obtaining  a 
hearing,  whereupon  he  delivered  a  lengthy  speech  at  the  top 
of  his  voice,  evidently  pointing  out  to  the  various  people 
the  parts  they  were  to  take  in  the  afternoon's  work.  His 
remarks  were  received  with  universal  hand-clapping.     The 


IN   A   BUSHONGO   VILLAGE  99 

men  who  had  charge  of  the  nets  then  departed  into  the 
wood.  The  nets  are  very  long  and  only  about  three  feet 
high.  They  are  placed  in  a  line,  and  the  game  is  driven 
towards  them,  so  that,  when  entangled  in  their  meshes,  it 
may  be  speared  or  shot  by  men  concealed  behind  them. 
Pongo-Pongo  now  loaded  his  guns.  His  bullet-box  was  a 
real  curio.  It  contained  scraps  of  metal  of  all  kinds,  and  of 
all  sizes  and  shapes,  none  of  which,  of  course,  properly  fitted 
the  bore  of  his  guns,  so  that  any  accuracy  of  shooting  was 
entirely  out  of  the  question  ;  all  the  same,  I  would  rather  be 
hit  and  mercifully  despatched  by  any  expanding  bullet  from 
a  modern  rifle  than  receive  in  my  person  a  few  of  those 
jagged  lumps  of  copper  with  which  Pongo-Pongo  (after 
much  careful  examination  of  his  stock  of  projectiles)  pro- 
ceeded to  charge  his  guns.  While  he  was  so  engaged,  the 
owners  of  the  dogs  were  busy  tying  rattles  round  these 
animals.  Each  dog  had  a  spherical  rattle  hollowed  from  a 
solid  piece  of  wood  strapped  tightly  round  its  loins,  their 
object  being  to  make  a  noise  as  the  line  of  dogs  and  beaters 
advances,  and  so  frighten  the  game  into  the  nets,  for  the 
dogs  themselves  do  not  as  a  rule  give  tongue  unless  they 
actually  get  a  view  of  their  quarry.  Everything  being  at 
last  ready,  we  moved  off  into  the  wood.  I  noticed  carefully 
what  Pongo-Pongo's  movements  would  be,  and  upon  finding 
that  he  intended  accompanying  the  beaters,  I  suggested 
taking  up  a  stand  near  the  nets,  for  I  knew  that  my  life 
would  not  be  worth  a  moment's  purchase  if  I  happened  to 
be  within  range  of  my  host  or  his  slave  when  they  happened 
to  see  a  pig,  and  I  had  no  desire  to  perish  of  copper  poison- 
ing as  a  result  of  a  shot  in  the  leg  from  his  gun.     I  was 


loo      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

accordingly  conducted  to  a  position  near  the  line  of  nets  to 
await  the  arrival  of  game  as  it  retired  before  the  advancing 
line  of  dogs  and  men.  For  some  time  everything  was  still. 
At  length  a  little  movement  among  the  countless  inhabitants 
of  the  forest  trees  showed  that  the  birds  had  become  aware 
that  something  unusual  was  going  on,  and  a  few  minutes 
later  a  hornbill  and  some  plantain-eaters  hurriedly  left  their 
perches  and  departed  farther  into  the  wood,  the  latter 
emitting  that  deep  rolling  cry  which  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  of  all  the  sounds  that  break  the  stillness  of  the 
African  forest.  A  little  later  a  crashing  of  branches  in  the 
tree-tops,  growing  rapidly  nearer,  indicated  the  approach  of 
a  troop  of  monkeys,  and  I  had  an  opportunity  of  bagging 
specimens  of  both  a  coal-black  colobus  and  a  cercopithecus 
monkey ;  an  opportunity  which,  to  the  disgust  of  my 
Bushongo  companions,  I  did  not  embrace,  as  I  was  not  desirous 
of  turning  back  with  the  noise  of  a  shot  any  more  important 
beast  which  might  be  approaching.  Soon  the  beaters  could 
be  heard  drawing  nearer  and  nearer,  and  the  rattles  of  the 
dogs  could  be  distinguished  as  these  animals  darted  hither 
and  thither  in  the  dense  undergrowth,  occasionally  (though 
very  rarely)  giving  vent  to  a  short,  sharp  yelp.  Suddenly 
some  shouting  in  the  distance  caused  my  companions  to 
quiver  with  excitement  as  they  told  me  that  a  pig  (a  red 
river  hog)  had  been  seen  by  the  beaters,  and  directed  me  to 
keep  a  keen  look-out  for  the  animal,  which,  if  all  had  gone 
well,  might  be  expected  to  come  in  our  direction.  Unfor- 
tunately, however,  all  had  not  gone  well.  The  line  of 
beaters  converged  upon  the  nets,  driving  nothing  before 
them  at  all,  for  two  pigs  (the  only  animals  seen)  had  broken 


IN   A   BUSHONGO   VILLAGE  loi 

back  through  the  line  without  so  much  as  an  arrow  in  their 
hides.  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  noisy  discussion  at  the 
woodside  before  commencing  the  beat  had  driven  all  the 
small  antelopes  which  inhabit  the  forest  far  away  into  the 
depths  of  the  wood,  and  pigs  are  notoriously  alert  and 
difficult  to  surprise.  Pongo-Pongo,  upon  rejoining  me, 
suggested  a  return  home,  and  we  reached  Misumba  at  dusk, 
very  hot,  very  scratched,  and  very  thirsty,  without  bringing 
with  us  a  single  trophy.  This  by  no  means  infrequently 
occurs. 

The  Bushongo  are  a  most  interesting  people ;  I  believe 
Torday's  work  among  them  has  shown  them  to  be  quite  one 
of  the  most  interesting  tribes  of  Central  Africa  ;  they  are 
easy  to  get  on  with,  and  in  every  way  desirable ;  but  I  am 
afraid  their  dearest  friend  could  not  truthfully  make  out 
for  them  any  claim  whatever  to  be  considered  sportsmen. 
They  are  quite  the  worst  hunters  we  met  during  our  journey 
in  the  Kasai.  Occasionally  large  animals  are  killed  by 
them,  but  usually  this  is  done  by  means  of  traps.  The 
elephant  which  I  have  already  mentioned  as  having  been 
killed  near  Misumba  was  trapped  by  means  of  a  large 
harpoon,  heavily  weighted  with  a  log,  falling  upon  the  nape 
of  his  neck  from  a  tree-top,  a  very  common  means  of  killing 
elephant  and  hippopotami.  When  a  large  animal  is  bagged, 
a  sacrifice  is  always  made  to  the  hunting  fetish  in  Misumba. 
We  were  present  at  that  which  took  place  after  the  death  of 
the  elephant  alluded  to  above.  The  fetish,  which  is  supposed 
to  influence  the  fortunes  of  the  chase,  consists  of  a  wooden 
image  of  a  man  (nearly  all  head,  the  body  being  of  micro- 
scopic proportions  and   covered  with    cloth).       It    is  very 


102      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE    KASAI 

poorly  carved  in  comparison  with  the  beautifully  worked 
cups  and  boxes  for  which  the  Bushongo  are  famous,  and  in 
place  of  the  usual  tukula  dye,  its  face  is  stained  with  soot. 
At  the  ceremony  which  I  am  about  to  describe,  it  was  placed 
in  the  village  street,  and  was  surrounded  by  a  large  crowd, 
including  several  drummers,  who  contributed  to  the  sacrifice 
quite  their"  fair  share  of  the  uproar  without  which  no  negro 
festival  is  'complete.  In  front  of  the  image  the  fetish-man 
— quite  a  young  man,  by  the  way — executed  a  pas  seul^ 
advancing  to  the  pedestal  on  which  the  fetish  stood  and  then 
retiring  backwards  to  the  edge  of  the  crowd.  His  dance  at 
an  end  (and  he  displayed  considerable  endurance  before  he 
ceased  his  antics),  the  fetish-man  solemnly  poured  water 
into  the  ear!  of  the  figure,  while  another  man,  with  equal 
solemnity,  blew  some  tobacco  smoke  in  its  face  from  his 
long  wooden  pipe.  An  unfortunate  (and  very  skinny)  chicken 
was  then^ produced,  and  its  throat  was  cut,  the  poor  bird 
being  allowed  to  die  slowly  on  the  ground  before  the 
image,  while  the  fetish-man  continued  his  dance  and  the 
drummers  furiously  beat  their  tom-toms.  The  sacrifice  was 
then  at  an  end.  Very  often  similar  ceremonies  precede  a 
day's  hunting,  and  these  are  sometimes  held  beneath  a 
sacred  tree  in  the  grounds  of  the  Kasai  Company's  factory. 
The  social  [organisation  of  Misumba  is  almost  exactly 
identical  withthat  of  the  court  of  the  great  Bushongo  king  at 
the  Mushenge,  although,  of  course,  Isambula  N'Genga  being 
only  a  viceroy,  it  is  on  a  smaller  scale.  We  enjoyed  ample 
opportunities  for  gaining  insight  into  the  intricate  organisa- 
tion of  this  miniature  court  owing  to  the  friendliness  of  the 
chief  and    Pongo-Pongo  ;     indeed,    so    friendly   did    they 


IN   A    BUSHONGO   VILLAGE  103 

become  that  they  suggested  to  Torday  that  he  should  be 
formally  made  an  "  elder"  of  Misumba, a  suggestion  which, 
after  due  consideration,  he  tactfully  declined. 

He  felt  that  when  we  visited  the  king  (which,  after 
what  we  had  seen  of  the  eastern  Bushongo,  we  were  now 
firmly  determined  to  do)  it  might  not  add  much  to  his 
dignity  if  he  had  become  an  elder  at  the  court  of  a  viceroy ; 
and  as  there  appeared  to  be  nothing  to  be  gained  by  going 
through  the  ceremony,  all  particulars  of  which  we  had 
already  learned,  he  contrived  to  put  off  the  question  in- 
definitely until  the  idea  had  left  the  minds  of  the  people  of 
Misumba.  I  will  not  give  my  reader  any  detailed  account 
of  the  composition  of  Isambula  N'Genga's  court,  as  I  shall 
describe  more  fully  the  organisation  of  the  great  court  at 
the  Mushenge.  There  is  one  dignitary,  however,  who  must 
be  mentioned  here,  the  old  Bilumbu,  or  "instructor  of  the 
young."  We  became  friendly  with  him  under  circumstances 
worthy  of  a  boy's  book  of  adventure.  He  was  ill,  very  ill, 
with  an  attack  of  fever  which  he  could  not  shake  off,  and 
the  continued  strain  of  which  seemed  likely  to  wear  him 
out,  for  he  was  very  old  indeed.  Having  tried  various 
native  remedies  without  success,  he  at  last  decided  to  ask 
the  white  man  for  medicine.  He  appealed  to  Torday.  Now, 
Torday  is  a  very  fair  doctor,  and  upon  this  occasion  he 
surpassed  himself  in  his  treatment  of  the  case.  In  a  few 
days  the  old  man  had  recovered.  The  administration  of 
quinine  tabloids  was  attended  with  no  small  amount  of  cere- 
mony. Torday,  of  course,  had  impressed  upon  the  Bilumbu 
the  almost  magic  power  of  Messrs.  Burroughs  &  Wellcome's 
drugs,  and  the  old  man  came  to  regard  them  with  a  good 


104     LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

deal  of  superstitious  awe,  so  that  he  would  never  allow  any 
one  to  see  him  actually  swallow  the  tabloids.  When  we 
arrived  with  his  dose  he  used  to  insist  upon  being  com- 
pletely covered  up  in  a  blanket,  from  the  folds  of  which  he 
would  extend  one  bony  hand,  into  which  the  pills  were 
placed ;  he  then  swallowed  the  drugs,  concealed  from  view 
by  the  blanket.  He  made  such  a  mystery  over  the  taking 
of  the  pills  that  we  had  the  greatest  difficulty  in  prevent- 
ing ourselves  from  laughing,  but,  of  course,  any  unseemly 
levity  on  our  part  would  have  materially  hindered  the  cure. 
In  return  for  Torday's  medical  attendance  the  old  man 
imparted  to  him  many  of  the  strange  legends  of  the 
Bushongo,  which,  as  "  instructor  of  the  young,"  it  was 
his  duty  to  teach  to  the  rising  generation.  Day  after  day 
Torday  would  go  down  to  the  Bilumbu's  hut,  and  seated 
in  the  shade  in  some  secluded  spot  he  would  listen  by  the 
hour  to  the  old  man's  tales,  and,  as  a  result,  he  was  able  to 
gain  an  extensive  knowledge  of  Bushongo  folk-lore.  These 
legends  are  preserved  only  in  the  brain  of  the  Bilumbu, 
for,  of  course,  the  art  of  writing  is  quite  unknown  to  the 
Bushongo,  and  they  are  sacred  ;  it  was  therefore  entirely 
due  to  Torday's  good  fortune  in  being  able  to  cure  the  old 
man  of  his  fever  that  he  obtained  this  splendid  opportunity 
of  learning  the  stories  from  the  man  who  knew  them  best. 
The  old  Bilumbu  evidently  considered  that  the  dignity  of 
his  office  required  that  he  should  surround  himself  with  as 
much  mystery  as  possible — hence  no  doubt  his  habit  of 
taking  pills  under  a  blanket ;  and  accordingly  the  relating 
of  his  legends  was  not  without  its  ceremony,  in  the  course 
of  which   the   old    fellow    generally  succeeded  in   making 


The  Bii.r.MHL:  'iakinm;   ni.i.s  iinoek  a  ui.anket. 


The  Bilumbu  di.smissi.ng  an   Ii\()uisitive  child. 


IN  A   BUSHONGO   VILLAGE  105 

something  out  of  somebody.  This  is  the  sort  of  thing  that 
used  to  occur.  We  would  go  and  call  upon  the  Bilumbu, 
accompanied  by  a  youth  of  the  name  of  Masolo  (a  great 
friend  of  ours  who  usually  accompanied  us  wherever  we 
went,  and  who  had  temporarily  attached  himself  to  the 
expedition  in  the  capacity  of  guide  to  Misumba,  interpreter, 
extra  boy,  and  gun-bearer).  Masolo  spoke  Chituba  well, 
and  as  the  old  "  instructor  of  the  young  "  spoke  no  lan- 
guage but  his  own,  the  lad  used  to  act  as  interpreter  between 
us.  The  Bilumbu,  vnth  as  mysterious  an  air  as  possible, 
would  conduct  us  to  a  yard  between  two  huts,  or  to  some 
other  quiet  place,  and  then  seat  himself  on  the  ground. 
For  a  few  minutes  he  would  say  nothing,  or  merely  make 
conversation  upon  general  subjects.  Then  he  would  think 
of  some  particular  legend  which  he  wished  to  impart  to  us, 
and  he  would  turn  furiously  upon  the  crowd  of  youths  and 
children,  who  always  tried  to  be  present  at  these  interviews, 
and  drive  them  away  with  a  flow  of  language  ill  befitting  an 
instructor  of  the  young.  Every  one  but  Masolo  having 
departed,  he  would  turn  to  our  youthful  interpreter  and 
inquire  what  he  meant  by  remaining  (he  always  did  this, 
although  he  knew  perfectly  well  that  the  lad  was  going  to 
act  as  interpreter).  Masolo  would  then  explain  that  his 
presence  was  a  necessity,  and  the  old  man  would  say,  "  The 
things  that  I  am  about  to  relate  are  too  strong  for  the  ears 
of  children,  but  if  you  must  hear  them  give  me  your  knife." 
Masolo  would  then  always  hand  over  his  knife,  or  whatever 
object  the  Bilumbu  asked  for,  without  demur,  and  the  old 
man,  having  secured  something  for  himself,  would  then 
proceed  to  relate  his  story.     This  occurred  practically  every 


io6     LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

time  we  visited  him,  and  as,  of  course,  we  had  to  return  to 
Masolo  the  value  of  the  things  thus  extorted  from  him,  the 
process  of  studying  folk-lore  became  rather  expensive.  The 
old  man  had,  no  doubt,  many  similar  ways  of  increasing 
his  income,  for  an  incident  occurred  during  our  stay  at 
Misumba  which  clearly  demonstrated  his  readiness  to  turn 
anything  to  account.  There  was  a  violent  tornado  one 
night,  in  the  course  of  which  the  lightning  struck  a  tree 
quite  close  to  the  old  Bilumbu's  hut.  Now  this  would  have 
terrified  nine  natives  out  of  ten,  and  led  them  to  procure 
for  themselves  a  number  of  charms  against  lightning,  but 
the  "  instructor  of  the  young  "  realised  at  once  that  there 
was  money  in  the  occurrence.  He  concealed  his  fears  (if 
he  had  any),  and  at  once  proclaimed  to  his  neighbours  how 
fortunate  it  was  for  them  that  such  a  person  as  himself 
resided  in  their  midst  who  could  thus  induce  the  lightning 
to  expend  its  wrath  upon  a  tree  instead  of  destroying  life  in 
the  village.  He  was  then  good  enough  to  accept  a  few 
tokens  of  gratitude  from  those  whose  lives  he  had  saved  by 
his  magic  control  of  the  storm.  Truly  the  old  fellow  was 
a  shrewd  business  man  !  The  tales  themselves  which  we 
gleaned  from  our  aged  friend  were  many  of  them  of  a 
nature  only  to  be  printed  in  a  strictly  scientific  work,  and 
even  then  some  of  them  would  benefit  by  translation  into 
Latin ;  others,  however,  were  merely  stories  indicating  the 
origin  of  quite  harmless  proverbs.  To  give  my  reader  some 
idea  of  Bushongo  folk-tales,  I  will  narrate  one  story  as  told 
to  us  by  the  Bilumbu  ;  it  has  reference  to  the  "  yuka," 
the  animal  whose  weird  cry  had  attracted  our  attention  at 
Batempa,  and  of  which  we  had  secured  two  living  specimens. 


IN   A   BUSHONGO   VILLAGE  107 

Once  upon  a  time  a  man  met  a  personal  enemy  in  the 
road  between  two  villages,  to  neither  of  which  he  nor  his 
enemy  belonged.  He  took  the  opportunity  of  administer- 
ing a  good  thrashing  to  the  man  who  had  incurred  his 
anger-  The  screams  of  his  victim  were  so  loud  as  to  be 
heard  in  both  villages,  and  the  warriors  of  each  turned  out 
equipped  for  war.  Arriving  upon  the  scene,  they  found  the 
thrashing  in  progress,  and  immediately  took  sides  in  the 
affair,  with  the  result  that  a  general  melee  ensued,  in  the 
course  of  which  several  people  were  killed.  After  the  battle 
it  occurred  to  the  warriors  to  wonder  what  they  had  been 
fighting  about,  and  they  discovered  that  all  the  bloodshed  had 
been  caused  by  a  quarrel  between  two  men,  in  whom  none 
of  them  had  the  slightest  interest.  So  it  is  when  a  man  has 
climbed  a  palm  tree  to  obtain  "  malafu  "  (palm  wine),  he 
hears  the  cry  of  the  yuka,  and,  mistaking  it  for  the  shriek 
of  a  human  being  in  distress,  he  hurriedly  climbs  down  to 
go  to  the  rescue.  In  his  descent  he  slips  and  breaks  his  leg. 
Nowadays  when  a  young  man  shows  his  intention  of  doing 
anything  without  due  consideration  or  of  meddling  in  other 
people's  affairs,  the  other  men  will  say  to  him,  "  Remember 
the  yuka's  cry,"  and  he  will  then  perhaps  reconsider  his 
plans.  I  have  told  this  tale  exactly  as  told  to  us,  and  it 
appears  to  point  a  similar  moral  to  our  proverb,  "  Look 
before  you  leap."  Bushongo  folk-lore  is  full  of  such  stories, 
but  some  of  them  are  even  more  far-fetched  than  this  one, 
and  some  are  practically  unintelligible. 

On  the  whole  our  life  at  Misumba  was  very  quiet.  We 
were  busy  at  our  work  from  morning  until  night,  and  the 
place  was  too  peaceful  for  any  particularly  exciting  incident 


io8     LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

to  be  likely  to  occur.  At  Misumba,  too,  we  heard  none  of 
those  rumours  of  wars  which  are  ever  in  the  atmosphere  of 
the  Congo,  and  which,  true  or  untrue,  dogged  our  foot- 
steps almost  wherever  we  went.  When  one  is  in  hourly 
contact  with  interesting  and  hitherto  unspoilt  natives 
amusing  things  are  continually  brought  to  one's  notice,  and 
one  of  the  quaintest  divorce  cases  I  have  ever  heard  of  came 
to  our  ears  at  Misumba.  A  resident  in  the  village  whose 
name  I  have  forgotten,  but  whom  we  will  term  "  A," 
accused  a  bachelor,  also  a  native  of  Misumba,  whom  we 
may  call  "  B,"  of  undue  familiarity  with  his  wife.  B 
emphatically  denied  the  accusation,  and  brought  a  charge 
of  slander  against  A.  The  case  was  taken  before  the  chief, 
and  pending  his  decision,  B  proceeded  to  steal  a  chicken 
belonging  to  the  chief.  He  openly  confessed  to  having  done 
so,  and  told  the  chief  that  he  must  repay  himself  for  the 
loss  of  his  bird  by  purloining  something  belonging  to  the 
slanderer,  A  !  The  case  was  altogether  too  complicated  for 
the  chief,  who  invited  Torday  to  give  an  opinion  upon  it. 
The  parties  were  therefore  brought  to  us  one  morning,  B 
appearing  armed  with  a  spear.  It  is  most  unorthodox  to 
carry  arms  at  meetings  of  this  kind,  so  Torday  inquired  why 
he  had  come  to  a  palaver  with  a  weapon  in  his  hand.  "  Oh, 
it's  all  right,"  replied  the  fellow ;  "  I  am  not  going  to  hurt 
you."  He,  however,  laid  aside  the  spear.  We  then  went 
on  to  examine  the  facts  of  the  case,  and  finally  inquired  of 
B  why  he  should  steal  one  of  the  chief's  chickens  when  he 
felt  himself  aggrieved  at  A's  accusations.  His  answer  was 
rather  unexpected  :  "  I  knew  I  should  never  get  justice  from 
the  chief  unless  he  was  personally  concerned  in  the  matter, 


IN   A   BUSHONGO   VILLAGE  109 

so  I  took  his  chicken  to  draw  him  into  it.  Now  he  can  get 
it  out  of  A  !  "  This  truly  remarkable  way  of  currying 
favour  with  his  judge  was  not  entirely  successful,  for  he 
was  at  once  found  guilty  of  an  intrigue  with  A's  wife,  and 
sentenced  to  pay  a  large  fine  in  cowrie  shells  (the  small 
change  of  the  district)  to  the  chief,  as  well  as  damages  to 
the  petitioner,  and  was  removed  in  custody  until  he  could 
hand  over  the  amount  required.  A  few  days  later  wc  met 
him,  at  liberty  and  quite  cheerful,  having  paid  his  fine  and 
having  married  the  lady  who  had  been  at  the  bottom  of  the 
trouble.  Had  the  petitioner  stolen  the  chicken  I  think  it 
is  very  unlikely  that  the  decree  would  have  been  granted, 
for  justice  among  the  African  natives  is  by  no  means  un- 
tempered  with  corruption. 

As  time  went  on  we  amassed  a  very  extensive  collection 
of  articles  for  the  ethnographical  department  of  the  British 
Museum,  of  which  specimens  of  wood-carving  constituted 
a  great  proportion.  The  Bakuba  decorate  with  elaborate 
carvings  even  the  simplest  of  wooden  household  utensils ; 
the  bellows  used  by  the  blacksmith  are  carved,  the  long 
tobacco-pipes,  the  mugs  from  which  palm  wine  is  drunk, 
the  boxes  (all  hewn  out  of  solid  blocks  of  wood,  for  the 
Bushongo  do  not  yet  join  wood  together)  in  which  the  red 
tukula  dye  is  kept  are  all  ornamented  with  raised  patterns, 
and  many  of  them  show  a  high  degree  of  artistic  talent. 
These  carvings  have  received  unstinted  praise  from  several 
prominent  anthropologists  since  our  return  from  the  Congo, 
for  very  little  had  previously  been  known  about  them. 
People  very  often  imagine  that  such  things  are  picked  up 
for  next  to  nothing  in  Africa,  and,  of  course,  sometimes 


no     LAND   AND    PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

this  is  true,  but  among  the  Bushongo  it  is  by  no  means  the 
case.  The  native  of  Misumba  is  a  very  good  hand  at  a 
bargain,  and  is  also  by  no  means  so  anxious  to  sell  his 
possessions  as  are  the  Batetela.  We  came  across  an  instance 
of  Bushongo  business  dealing  which  rivals,  if  it  does  not 
excel,  the  greed  of  the  old  Bilumbu  alluded  to  above.  We 
met  one  day  the  deformed  boy  who  had  charge  of  the 
chickens  belonging  to  the  Kasai  Company's  factory  going 
towards  the  village  with  a  bundle  of  native  cloth  under 
his  arm.  We  casually  inquired  what  he  was  going  to  buy 
with  so  much  money,  and  he  informed  us  that  he  was  not 
going  to  make  any  purchases  at  all,  but  was  about  to  lend 
the  cloth  to  a  friend  who  had  got  into  debt.  Torday 
thought  at  the  time  that  this  generosity  sounded  a  little 
too  good  to  be  strictly  true,  so  he  made  a  few  inquiries  into 
the  case,  and  discovered  that  the  boy  was  going  to  lend  the 
cloth  to  a  man  for  a  couple  of  months  at  a  rate  of  interest 
of  200  per  cent.  ;  at  the  expiration  of  the  two  months,  if 
the  full  amount  was  not  paid  back,  the  debtor  would  be- 
come the  slave  of  the  chicken-keeper !  It  may  well  be 
imagined  therefore  that  in  bargaining  for  curios  with  a 
people  who  are  as  grasping  as  this  we  had  to  dip  into  our 
pockets  rather  more  deeply  than  we  cared  about. 

All  the  Bushongo  are  extremely  fond  of  dancing ;  the 
great  chief  at  the  Mushenge,  as  we  subsequently  discovered, 
dearly  loves  a  dance,  and  is  only  too  glad  of  any  excuse  to 
organise  one,  while  at  Misumba  dances  on  a  large  scale  are 
very  frequently  held.  One  portion  of  the  village  will  often 
invite  the  inhabitants  of  the  other  to  come  over  in  the 
afternoon  for  a  dance  to  be  held  in  the  wide  street,  and 


A   CKKEMOMAI.    DANCE    liV    AN    ELDER. 


A   DANCE    AT    MlSUMBA. 


IN   A   BUSHONGO   VILLAGE  in 

upon  such  occasions  the  people  turn  out  en  masse  bent  upon 
enjoyment.  The  band  (that  is  to  say,  a  number  of  the 
ubiquitous  tom-toms),  performs  in  the  midst  of  the  street, 
while  the  people,  attired  in  their  best  loin-cloths  and  care- 
fully tukulaed,  dance  around  it  in  single  file,  the  dresses  of 
the  women,  some  spotlessly  white  and  some  red,  gleaming 
in  the  sun  as  the  wearers  move  stiffly  in  a  by  no  means 
graceful  variety  of  danse  du  ventre.  We  have  seen  as  many 
as  three  hundred  women  taking  part  in  one  of  these  dances, 
varying  in  age  from  tiny  girls  to  matrons  whose  dancing 
days,  one  would  have  thought,  had  long  since  passed  away. 
They  were  arranged  in  the  line  according  to  the  colour  of 
their  dresses — a  batch  of  red,  then  some  wearing  white,  then 
more  red,  and  so  on.  As  not  infrequently  occurs  among 
peoples  more  advanced  in  civilisation  than  the  Bushongo,  a 
great  many  of  the  young  men  of  Misumba  are  far  too  blase 
to  take  any  part  in  the  proceedings  other  than  honouring 
them  with  their  presence  and  lounging  in  the  shade  of  the 
huts  as  they  cast  critical  glances  at  the  ladies.  A  few, 
however,  do  dance,  and  these  are  usually  very  smartly 
attired  in  loin-cloths  bordered  with  innumerable  tassels 
and  brightly  coloured  feathers  in  their  hair.  The  viceroy 
is  always  present  at  the  large  dances,  sitting  beneath  a  shed 
surrounded  by  his  elders. 

During  our  stay  at  Misumba  both  Torday  and  I  found 
time  to  make  excursions  into  the  surrounding  country. 
Torday  undertook  a  journey  of  some  days'  duration  to  the 
country  of  the  Bangendi,  sub-tribe  of  the  Bushongo,  who  live 
on  the  western  side  of  the  Lubudi  River,  while  I  on  several 
occasions   went  out  to  neighbouring   villages  in  search   of 


112      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

sport,  staying  away  from  one  to  four  nights  at  a  time. 
During  my  wanderings  to  the  east  of  Misumba  I  came 
across  several  of  the  quarry-like  crevices,  such  as  I  have 
described  on  the  way  from  the  Sankuru,  and  we  found  out 
that  formerly  the  Bushongo  used  to  extract  a  good  deal  of 
iron  from  them,  but  nowadays  the  metal  used  in  the  manu- 
facture of  knives,  arrow-heads,  &c.,  is  nearly  all  obtained 
from  the  Kasai  Company.  Game  is  by  no  means  abundant 
near  Misumba.  I  have  seen  a  few  small  duikers  and  a 
bush-buck,  and  I  have  come  across  the  tracks  of  small  herds 
of  buffalo,  though  I  was  never  able  to  get  a  glimpse  of  these 
latter  animals.  To  judge  by  the  size  of  their  tracks  they 
are  probably  members  of  the  same  species  of  dwarf  buffalo 
as  those  which  I  shot  later  near  the  Mushenge,  namely  Bos 
caffer  manus.  The  herds  are  small,  containing  as  a  rule  from 
three  to  half-a-dozen  animals.  A  kind  of  sitatunga  ante- 
lope is  said  to  exist  in  the  swamps  near  the  Lubudi,  but  of 
this  beast  I  never  saw  so  much  as  a  track.  With  the 
addition  of  an  occasional  leopard  and  some  elephants  (the 
the  latter,  I  think,  merely  pass  through  the  district  and  are 
not  permanently  resident  there),  the  above  beasts  constitute 
the  game  list  of  Misumba, 

The  patches  of  woodland  which  are  to  be  found  in  all 
the  hollows  of  the  undulating  grass  land  abound  with 
monkeys,  and  a  number  of  interesting  small  mammals  can 
be  collected  in  the  neighbourhood,  of  which  we  were  lucky 
enough  to  discover  a  new  species  of  petrodomus,  which  has 
been  named  after  Torday,  The  tsetse-fly  does  not  exist  in 
the  plains  around  Misumba,  but  as  this  insect  is  so  very  local 
I  am  not  prepared  to  say  that  it  is  not  to  be  found  in  the 


IN   A   BUSHONGO   VILLAGE  113 

swampy  woodlands  of  the  district.  On  the  whole  Misumba 
is  fairly  healthy,  but  the  climate  is  considerably  hotter  than 
that  of  Mokunji ;  with  the  exception  of  one  very  mild  attack 
of  fever,  which  laid  me  up  for  a  few  hours,  none  of  us 
suffered  from  malaria. 

In  the  middle  of  April  the  time  arrived  for  Hardy  to 
return  to  Europe,  so  Torday  decided  to  interrupt  his  work 
among  the  Bushongo,  and,  after  seeing  Hardy  off  to  the 
coast,  to  visit  the  primitive  Batetela  tribes  which  inhabit  the 
great  forest  to  the  north  of  the  Sankuru  before  going  on 
to  the  capital  of  the  Bushongo  king.  Had  we  proceeded 
from  Misumba  direct  to  the  court  of  the  king,  which  lies 
to  the  west  near  the  confluence  of  the  Kasai  and  the  San- 
kuru, we  should  have  had  to  undertake  a  long  journey  in 
order  to  reach  the  forest  peoples,  so  it  seemed  wiser  to  visit 
them  at  once  and  to  postpone  for  a  few  months  the  com- 
pletion of  our  work  among  the  Bushongo. 

But  we  discovered  that  it  was  one  thing  to  decide  to 
leave  Misumba  and  quite  a  different  matter  to  procure 
carriers  to  transport  our  loads  across  the  river.  Cloth  is 
the  currency  of  the  district,  and,  as  I  have  shown,  very  large 
quantities  of  cloth  is  woven  at  Misumba.  It  is  not  surpris- 
ing, therefore,  that  when  a  man  wants  "  money  "  he  should 
prefer  to  manufacture  it  quietly  at  his  own  loom  in  the 
village  instead  of  undertaking  some  irksome  work  such  as 
load-carrying  in  order  to  earn  it.  We  found  that  no  one 
was  in  the  least  desirous  of  carrying  our  baggage  to  the 
Sankuru.  In  our  difficulty  the  ethnographical  information 
which  Torday  had  obtained  demonstrated  its  practical  value. 
We  had  heard  from  some  of  our  Bushongo  friends  of  a  power- 


H 


114    LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

ful  secret  society  which  existed  to  maintain  the  authority 
and  dignity  of  the  chief  in  case  of  any  attempt  to  dispute 
his  rights.  Nearly  all  the  men  in  the  village  belonged  to 
this  society,  and  Torday,  who  had  learned  all  about  its 
organisation,  knew  that  if  he  could  persuade  its  "  grand 
master  "  to  use  his  influence  on  our  behalf  we  should  most 
probably  be  able  to  get  as  many  porters  as  we  wanted.  The 
evening  before  we  wished  to  depart  he  accordingly  visited 
this  dignitary,  and  returned  having  left  him  a  good  sum  in 
trade  goods,  but  having  received  a  promise  of  assistance. 
Next  morning  a  couple  of  hundred  men  turned  up  at  day- 
break to  carry  our  loads !  The  study  of  native  manners 
and  customs  can  certainly  be  of  practical  service  to  the 
traveller. 


CHAPTER    IV 

WITH   THE   BANKUTU   CANNIBALS 

Although  we  had  been  able  to  obtain  porters  for  our 
journey  with  the  help  of  the  head  of  the  secret  society, 
the  march  to  the  Sankuru  was  not  without  its  difficulties. 
It  was  full  of  the  little  annoyances  inseparable  from  travel 
in  out-of-the-way  places.  To  begin  with,  the  day  was 
intensely  hot,  and  the  hours  of  marching  through  the 
plains  proved  rather  trying ;  in  addition  to  fatigue  we 
were  soon  inconvenienced  by  thirst,  for  the  porter  who 
was  carrying  our  reserve  of  water  had  placed  it  in  a 
large  bottle  which  contained  some  dirty  oil,  thereby 
rendering  it  quite  undrinkable,  a  fact  which  we  did  not 
discover  in  time  to  husband  the  small  supply  we  were 
able  to  carry  in  our  own  water-bottles.  Then  on  arriving 
at  the  village  of  Zappo-Lubumba,  where  we  camped  for 
the  night,  there  arose  a  good  deal  of  disputing  between  our 
Bushongo  porters  and  the  Basongo-Meno  of  the  village, 
for  the  latter  flatly  declined  to  sell  our  men  any  food  or 
to  show  them  where  clear  drinking  water  could  be  obtained. 
This  led  to  our  having  rather  a  stormy  interview  with 
Zappo.  We  told  him  that  we  knew  perfectly  well  there 
was  plenty  of  food  in  the  place,  and  that  we  were  ready 
to  pay  a  good  price  for  it ;  he  replied  that  he  had  told 
his  people  to  trade  with  ours,  but  they  had  refused  to  do 


ii6      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

so,  and  he  suggested  that  we  should  take  the  food  by 
force.  This,  of  course,  we  could  not  do,  for  we  should 
at  once  have  ruined  our  reputation  as  peaceful  travellers 
and  should  very  likely  have  got  the  worst  of  a  "  brush-up  " 
with  the  warlike  Basongo-Meno,  so  we  had  to  be  content 
with  Zappo's  promise  that  he  would  do  his  best  to  arrange 
matters.  Meantime  we  told  our  Bushongo  to  be  careful 
to  avoid  any  breach  of  the  peace.  Shortly  after  we  had 
turned  in,  Jones  aroused  us  with  the  pleasing  intelligence 
that  every  one  of  our  porters  had  bolted,  leaving  us 
without  a  single  man  to  convey  our  loads  the  remaining 
few  miles  to  the  river,  entirely  dependent  upon  the  good- 
will of  the  Basongo-Meno,  whose  attitude  towards  us  was 
anything  but  friendly.  Nothing  was  to  be  gained  by  mak- 
ing a  fuss  in  the  middle  of  the  night,  so  we  slept  on  till 
morning,  and  then  once  more  had  a  stormy  interview  with 
Zappo.  We  put  the  matter  straight  to  him.  His  people 
had  treated  our  porters  so  badly  that  they  had  been  obliged 
to  run  away,  and  therefore  the  people  of  Zappo-Lubumba 
had  practically  prevented  our  passage  through  their  country; 
this  amounted  to  an  act  of  hostility  which  would  arouse  the 
ire  of  the  Government;  the  garrison  of  Bena  Dibele  was  not 
far  off,  and  the  soldiers  there  could  easily  come  to  our 
assistance  ;  we  did  not  want  to  get  any  one  into  trouble,  but 
we  must  proceed  at  once  to  the  river ;  what  was  Zappo 
prepared  to  do  ?  Now  Zappo  himself  had  never  been  in 
the  least  unfriendly  to  us,  and  I  am  sure  he  genuinely 
regretted  the  turn  affairs  had  taken,  for  he  at  once  pro- 
mised to  do  his  best,  and  then  explained  to  us  the  difficulty 
of  his  own  position.      As  at  Misumba  so  at  Lubumba,  the 


WITH   THE   BANKUTU   CANNIBALS       117 

real   chief   and   the    chief   recognised   by   the   Government 
were  two  different  individuals.     Zappo  was  merely  an  elder 
who,  like  Pongo-Pongo,  posed   as   chief  before  any  white 
man  who  might  pass  through  the  village,  and  possessed  no 
authority  over  the   people  whatsoever.     He   told   us   that 
his  position  was  an  impossible  one,  and  begged  of  us  to  set 
matters  right  if  we  met  any  Government  official,  for  he  was 
sick  of  always  risking  trouble  to  himself  which  might  at 
any  moment  be  brought  about  by  an  act  of  violence  on  the 
part  of  people  over  whom  he  had  no  control.     We  told 
him  that  he  had  our  fullest  sympathy,  but  that  the  matter 
that  really  concerned  us  was  how  our  loads  were  to  get  to 
the    river ;    when   they   had    been   safely   carried   there   we 
might   think    more   about   Zappo's   troubles   than   we    had 
time  to  do  at  the  moment.     Zappo  then  left  us,  and  after 
a  good  deal  of  talking  he  induced  the  people  of  the  village 
to  carry  our  baggage  on  to  Gandu,  or  rather  to  a  point  on 
the  river  a  little  above  the  fuel-station,  whence  it  was  con- 
veyed  to   its   destination    in    canoes.      With   the   exception 
of  two  straps  nothing  whatever  was  stolen,  so  we  considered 
that  we  had  come  well  out  of  a  situation  which  might  have 
ended  in  unpleasantness.     The  village  of  Zappo-Lubumba 
is  too  easily  reached  from  the  Government  post  of  Bena 
Dibele  for  us  to  have  anticipated  any  actual  attack  upon 
our  persons,  but  the  attitude  of  the  Basongo-Meno  clearly 
showed  that  only  the  proximity  of  troops  prevented  them 
from  plundering  us  and  incidentally  cutting  our  throats. 
We    knew   that   we    might    have   to   wait   several   days    at 
Gandu  for  the   arrival   of  the   Kasai   Company's   steamer, 
which  was  to  carry  Hardy  down-stream  to  Dima  on  his  way 


ii8      LAND   AND    PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

to  the  coast,  so  we  settled  down  to  make  ourselves  as  com- 
fortable as  circumstances  would  permit.  The  first  thing 
we  did  was  to  rig  up  a  large  "dining-room"  of  mosquito 
netting,  for  our  previous  visit  to  the  fuel-station  had  shown 
us  that  some  such  protection  was  absolutely  necessary.  I  have 
never  stayed  in  a  place  where  mosquitoes  are  so  numerous 
or  so  aggressive  as  at  Gandu.  To  sit  out  of  doors  after 
sundown  would  have  been  quite  impossible.  Our  tents 
were  pitched  close  up  to  the  edge  of  the  river  bank,  which 
in  the  rainy  season  is  about  twelve  feet  high  above  the 
water's  edge,  and  in  the  mornings  the  inside  of  the  ends 
of  the  tents  which  faced  the  water  were  simply  covered 
with  swarms  of  mosquitoes,  to  avoid  disturbing  which  it  was 
necessary  to  dress  with  caution.  We  used  literally  to  run 
from  the  shelter  of  our  big  net  to  our  tents  when  we  went 
to  bed,  and  then  used  to  turn  in  without  lighting  a  candle 
for  fear  that  a  light  might  attract  still  more  of  the  fever- 
spreading  insects,  which  must  breed  in  countless  millions 
in  the  forest  swamps  which  lie  close  to  the  fuel-station. 
So  bad  are  the  mosquitoes  at  Gandu  that  natives  staying 
for  a  night  there  who  are  unprovided  with  cotton  shelters 
under  which  to  sleep,  often  prefer  to  find  some  compara- 
tively dry  spot  in  the  forest  and  lie  down  out  of  doors  at  the 
risk  of  being  killed  by  leopards  to  being  eaten  alive  by  the 
mosquitoes  in  the  wood-cutters'  huts  by  the  river.  Gandu, 
therefore,  is  by  no  means  pleasant  by  night,  and  by  day 
it  is  scarcely  more  desirable,  for  the  tsetse-fly,  the  bearer 
of  the  deadly  sleeping  sickness,  is  very  prevalent,  and  one 
can  hardly  avoid  being  frequently  bitten  by  it  if  one  does 
not   take   advantage   of  the   protection   of  mosquito    nets. 


A    iJAsoNGo-Ml'.M)    W  \l 


OUK    CAMl'    Al'    GaXDU. 


WITH   THE   BANKUTU    CANNIBALS      119 

Our  net  was  a  large  rectangular  one,  under  which  several 
people  could  dine,  so  we  spent  most  of  our  time  beneath 
it,  but  the  heat  at  Gandu  is  usually  very  great,  and  at 
midday  in  our  mosquito-proof  shelter  it  was  well-nigh 
unbearable.  Our  stay  at  the  fuel-station  was  not  a  par- 
ticularly pleasant  one  ;  but  although  we  had  no  work  to 
prevent  us  from  brooding  over  our  discomforts,  our  time 
was  fully  occupied  in  providing  fresh  meat  for  the  table, 
the  people  of  Zappo-Lubumba  having  declined  to  sell  us 
any  poultry.  We  depended  entirely  upon  our  guns  for 
our  food.  The  fuel-station  lies  in  a  little  clearing  about 
sixty  yards  square  on  the  left  or  south  bank  of  the  river, 
and  is  surrounded  by  very  dense  forest,  in  which,  as  I  have 
said,  are  a  number  of  swamps.  The  river  is  here  about 
half  a  mile  wide,  and  in  mid-stream  there  lies  an  island, 
half  of  which  is  covered  with  impenetrable  forest  for  the 
most  part  under  water,  while  the  other  half  consists  of  a 
sandbank.  Immediately  upon  our  arrival  we  inquired  of 
the  wood-choppers  if  any  wild-duck  frequented  this  island, 
and  we  were  rather  unpleasantly  surprised  to  learn  that 
they  were  only  to  be  found  there  at  rare  intervals  although 
a  few  could  daily  be  seen  flying  up  and  down  the  river. 
We  therefore  decided  to  place  a  wooden  decoy-duck  which 
we  had  brought  with  us  at  the  end  of  the  sandbank  in 
the  hope  of  attracting  the  birds  to  the  island.  We  found 
only  one  canoe  at  Gandu,  and  that  was  a  small  one  which 
leaked  badly,  while  the  only  wood-chopper  who  showed  any 
desire  to  help  us  in  our  shooting  was  quite  the  worst  paddler 
and  least  intelligent  native  I  have  ever  had  the  misfortune 
to  meet.      He  contrived  to  make  the  canoe  roll  about  to 


I20      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

an  incredible  extent  whenever  one  wanted  to  attempt  a  long 
shot  with  a  rifle  at  a  crane  or  some  similar  wader,  and  used 
to  give  us  advice  at  the  top  of  his  voice  just  as  we  were 
endeavouring  to  approach  within  shot  of  a  particularly  wary 
bird.  We  found  our  decoy-duck  a  very  useful  asset. 
With  its  aid  we  managed  to  attract  quite  a  number  of 
wild-duck  to  the  island,  and  we  soon  came  to  the  con- 
clusion that  the  fact  that  one's  food  supply  depends  upon 
one's  shooting  considerably  increases  one's  percentage  of 
kills.  But  we  were  not  able  to  secure  duck  every  day. 
Often  we  had  to  be  content  with  cranes.  The  meat  from 
the  breasts  of  these  birds  is  really  not  bad,  and  "  crane 
steaks "  became  quite  a  favourite  dish  with  us.  Neither 
Torday  nor  I  are  great  anglers,  but  Luchima,  our  Batetela 
cook,  used  occasionally  to  catch  some  fish,  though  he  com- 
plained bitterly  of  my  tackle,  saying  that  he  would  much 
prefer  a  primitive  native  hook  to  those  which  had  been 
supplied  by  a  well-known  London  shop.  His  method  of 
fishing  was  to  tie  his  line  to  a  stout  stick  and  attempt  to 
jerk  the  fish  on  to  the  bank  directly  he  felt  a  "  bite "  ; 
another  way  of  catching  the  larger  varieties  of  fish  is  to 
fix  the  end  of  the  line  (a  stout  one)  to  a  strong  but  pliable 
sapling  growing  at  the  water's  edge ;  the  hook  is  then 
thrown  out  into  the  stream  baited  with  the  entrails  of  a 
bird.  When  the  fish  takes  the  hook  the  bendable  tree 
gives  sufficiently  to  his  pull  to  prevent  the  line  being 
broken  by  the  jerk,  and  in  this  way  one  man  can  look 
after  several  lines. 

There   is   no   lack   of  animal   and  bird  life  at  Gandu. 
Elephants    are    said    to    visit    the    Sankuru    at    this    point 


WITH   THE   BANKUTU    CANNIBALS      121 

during  the  dry  season,  when  the  swamps  inland  are  prac- 
tically dried  up,  and  hippopotami  are  to  be  found  at  no 
great  distance  from  the  wood  post.  Curiously  enough 
we  did  not  see  a  single  crocodile  in  the  neighbourhood, 
although  the  word  "  Gandu  "  means  crocodile  in  the 
Chituba  trade-language.  Pigs  are  very  frequently  to  be 
heard  by  night  splashing  through  the  swamps  close  to  the 
fuel-stations,  but  owing  to  the  density  of  the  forest  it  is 
almost  impossible  to  approach  these  animals  ;  leopards 
exist  in  the  forest,  but  are  not  very  numerous.  Upon  the 
island  opposite  to  our  camp  we  saw  a  number  of  tracks  of 
the  sitatunga  antelope,  but  we  never  succeeded  in  getting 
a  shot  at  this  somewhat  rare  beast.  The  natives  assured 
us  that  the  animals  were  in  the  habit  of  swimming  over 
from  the  right  bank  of  the  river  to  the  island,  where  it 
is  possible  that  they  may  have  found  a  certain  herb  with 
a  salt  taste,  in  search  of  which  I  have  known  buffaloes  to 
swim  the  Sankuru.  Monkeys  of  several  varieties  are,  of 
course,  very  plentiful  in  the  woods,  and  we  used  to  shoot 
specimens  of  them,  both  for  the  sake  of  collecting  their 
skins  and  in  order  to  supply  our  boys  with  their  meat,  of 
which  most  natives  are  very  fond  ;  but  Gandu  is  richer  in 
birds  than  in  beasts.  Most  of  the  varieties  of  aquatic  birds 
that  frequent  the  Sankuru  are  to  be  seen  in  a  day  at  Gandu. 
Cranes,  storks,  herons,  marabouts,  egrets,  spur-winged 
plovers,  duck,  moor-fowl,  ibis,  and  brilliantly  coloured 
kingfishers  are  only  a  few  of  the  many  species  that  are  to 
be  found  on  the  island  or  along  the  river  banks,  while  the 
woods  are  swarming  with  countless  feathered  inhabitants. 
We  therefore  spent  our  time,  when  not  actually  shooting 


122      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF    THE   KASAI 

for  the  pot,  in  preparing  the  skins  of  birds  to  be  sent 
home.  After  a  few  days'  stay  at  Gandu  our  old  friend  the 
Velde  appeared  on  her  way  down-stream,  and  Hardy  left 
us  to  begin  his  journey  home.  He  had  seen  a  good  deal 
of  native  life,  and  took  with  him  a  great  number  of 
sketches  and  notes  of  people  and  scenery  to  be  worked  up 
into  finished  pictures  in  Europe.  He  much  regretted,  I 
think,  that  circumstances  would  not  permit  him  to  stay  on 
and  undertake  with  us  a  journey  in  the  equatorial  forest ; 
but  he  had  not  been  in  particularly  good  health,  and,  on 
the  whole,  perhaps  it  is  a  good  thing  for  him  that  he  was 
unable  to  remain  and  have  to  endure  the  effects  of  bad 
climate  and  shortage  of  food  which  we  were  to  go  through 
before  the  end  of  the  year.  Several  days  elapsed  before  a 
steamer  going  up-river  arrived  to  take  Torday  and  me  to 
Bena  Dibele.  During  these  days  we  managed  to  induce 
one  or  two  Basongo-Meno  fishermen  to  visit  our  camp,  and 
even  to  take  us  out  shooting  in  their  canoes.  Zappo  him- 
self came  several  times  to  see  us,  and  upon  one  occasion 
took  us  out  to  shoot  a  hippopotamus.  His  paddling  was 
of  a  very  different  kind  to  that  of  the  Baluba  wood- 
chopper  who  usually  acted  as  our  ferryman.  Zappo  was 
absolutely  at  home  in  his  canoe.  The  craft  was  a  small 
one,  and  when  Torday  and  I  both  accompanied  Zappo  her 
gunwale  was  very  little  above  the  w^ater ;  but  with  such  a 
paddler  we  had  no  fear  of  a  ducking.  In  common  with 
all  the  natives  of  the  Sankuru,  Zappo  propelled  his  canoe 
in  a  standing  position,  keeping  her  level  with  the  pres- 
sure of  his  feet.  As  he  approached  the  hippo  he  kept  his 
boat  absolutely  steady,  sending  her  forward  swiftly  yet  so 


WITH   THE   BANKUTU   CANNIBALS      123 

smoothly  that  one  could  scarcely  distinguish  the  strokes 
of  the  paddle  that  moved  her.  In  addition  to  this  Zappo 
was  as  cool  as  one  could  possibly  wish,  and  one  was  never 
worried  with  the  thought  that  he  would  spoil  one's  chances 
by  talking  or  moving  just  as  one  was  about  to  take  a  shot, 
I  have  never  been  out  shooting  with  a  better  paddler  than 
Zappo.  Fortunately  we  were  able  to  reward  him,  for  we 
killed  a  hippo  about  two  miles  above  our  camp ;  but  as  we 
shot  the  animal  in  the  evening  we  were  unable  to  find  it 
when  it  rose  to  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  the  steamer 
arriving  next  morning  to  take  us  up  the  river,  we  saw  no 
more  of  the  beast,  which,  we  subsequently  learned,  was 
found  later  in  the  day  by  the  Basongo-Meno. 

The  voyage  to  Bena  Dibele  passed  off  without  any 
incident,  and  we  reached  the  Government  post  on  the 
right  bank  of  the  Sankuru  in  the  afternoon  of  the  third 
day  after  our  start  from  Gandu.  The  place  is  built  in  a 
clearing  in  the  forest  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  is  a 
typical  example  of  a  Congolese  military  station.  It  was 
under  the  command  of  a  sous-officier  of  a  Belgian  cavalry 
regiment,  who  had  already  served  for  several  years  in  the 
Congo,  assisted  by  a  young  civilian.  The  chef  de  poste  had 
about  forty  native  soldiers  and  a  similar  number  of  work- 
men, who  cut  up  and  packed  the  rubber  brought  in  by  the 
local  natives  in  payment  of  taxes ;  he  was  in  charge  of 
a  large  district  along  the  shores  of  the  Sankuru,  which 
extended  some  distance  to  the  north  and  south  of  the 
river.  The  civilian's  duties  consisted  largely  in  managing 
the  transport  of  stores  and  rubber  to  and  from  the  five 
other   Government   posts  which    lie   to    the    north   in    the 


124     LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

great  forest,    in   the  domaine  privee    of  the    King   of   the 
Belgians. 

The  buildings  at  Bena  Dibele  consisted  of  the  bungalows 
of  the  chef  de  poste  and  his  assistant,  two  spare  bungalows 
for  officials  staying  at  the  post  on  their  way  to  stations  in 
the  forest,  two  large  rubber-drying  houses,  a  store- house 
for  trade  goods,  a  guard-room,  and  villages  for  the  soldiers 
and  the  workmen.  The  place  was,  like  nearly  all  Congolese 
stations,  very  neatly  kept,  and  lying  on  the  shores  of  a  fine 
open  reach  of  the  Sankuru  it  is  quite  picturesque.  Its 
importance  arises  from  the  fact  that  it  is  the  base  whence 
supplies  are  sent  into  the  southern  part  of  the  domaine 
privee.  The  Lukenye  River  flows  parallel  with  the  Sankuru 
about  five  days'  march  to  the  north,  and  upon  this  river  are 
situated  the  Government  posts  of  Kole,  Lodja,  and  Katako 
Kombe ;  still  further  to  the  north  are  two  more  posts, 
Loto  and  Lomela.  A  small  steamer  plies  upon  the 
Lukenye  and  takes  some  of  the  rubber  from  Kole  and 
Lodja  down  to  Lac  Leopold  II.  ;  but  all  stores  are  landed 
at  Dibele  and  sent  up  to  these  places  from  there,  as  the 
steamer  service  upon  the  Sankuru  is  far  safer  and  more 
regular  than  that  on  the  swift  and  narrow  Lukenye. 
About  three  miles  above  Bena  Dibele,  also  on  the  right 
bank  of  the  river,  are  situated  very  extensive  rubber  planta- 
tions belonging  to  the  Government,  and  under  the  control 
of  a  white  official  with  an  expert  knowledge  of  rubber 
planting.  For  every  ton  of  wild  rubber  exported  from  the 
domaine  a  certain  number  of  rubber  vines  are  planted  at 
Dibele,  the  object  being  to  compensate  for  the  amount 
taken   out   of  the   country.       The   plantations   are   in   the 


WITH   THE   BANKUTU    CANNIBALS      125 

forest,  in  which  long  lines  of  plants  are  laid  out,  the  place 
being  cleaned  of  undergrowth  for  the  purpose.  The 
number  of  vines  already  planted  must  be  enormous,  but 
about  twenty  years  must  elapse,  we  were  told,  before  any 
extensive  output  of  rubber  can  be  expected  from  them. 
We  were  very  courteously  received  by  Monsieur  Lardot, 
the  chef  de  poste  at  the  time  of  our  visit,  and  although  we 
had  been  unable  to  inform  him  of  our  arrival  in  advance, 
he  was  quite  prepared  to  welcome  us  and  to  give  us  any 
help  that  lay  in  his  power.  We  therefore  soon  began  to 
question  him  about  the  forest,  and  to  form  plans  for  our 
projected  journey.  We  desired  to  see  something  of  the 
Basongo-Meno  who  inhabit  the  right  bank  of  the  Sankuru, 
and  also  of  the  Bankutu,  a  cannibal  people  of  whose 
ferocity  we  had  heard  a  great  deal,  and  who  resided  in 
the  heart  of  the  forest  to  the  north-west  of  Dibele  ;  in 
addition  to  this,  we  wanted  to  study  the  primitive  Batetela 
tribes  of  the  country  to  the  north  of  the  Lubefu  River, 
and  thus  connect  our  work  with  that  already  done  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Mokunji.  Monsieur  Lardot  informed 
us  that  we  could  make  the  acquaintance  of  a  Basongo- 
Meno  chief  quite  close  to  Dibele,  in  fact  we  could  ask 
him  to  come  and  see  us  in  the  station,  but  that  we  should 
have  to  proceed  to  the  neighbourhood  of  Kole  in  order  to 
find  the  Bankutu.  The  road  from  Bena  Dibele  to  Kole 
lay  through  the  country  of  these  cannibals,  and  although 
they  were  quiet  at  the  time.  Monsieur  Lardot  advised  us 
to  be  very  cautious  in  our  dealings  with  them,  for  they 
were  treacherous  in  the  extreme.  He  had  heard  that 
around   Kole   they  were  worse  than  to  the  south   of  the 


126      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

Lukenye,  but  of  that  part  of  the  country  he  had  no 
personal  knowledge.  During  our  stay  at  Bena  Dibele  we 
met  a  young  Norwegian  artillery  officer  who  had  entered 
the  service  of  the  Congo  State,  and  who  was  proceeding 
from  Lomela,  where  he  had  been  chef  de  poste,  to  take  up 
an  appointment  at  Lusambo.  This  gentleman  was  able  to 
give  us  a  good  deal  of  information  as  to  the  whereabouts 
of  the  Batetela  tribes,  and  he  advised  us  to  go  on  from 
Kole  to  Lodja  and  there  make  a  tour  to  the  northward  in 
the  direction  of  Lomela.  He  told  us  that  we  should  find 
near  the  latter  place  a  tribe  known  as  the  Akela,  of  whose 
very  existence  nothing  appears  to  have  been  previously 
heard  among  scientists  in  Europe,  so  we  were  naturally 
anxious  to  follow  out  the  suggestion  of  a  trip  into  their 
country. 

Meantime  we  had  to  stay  for  a  week  or  two  at  Bena 
Dibele  to  await  the  arrival  of  some  things  we  were  expecting 
to  reach  us  from  Europe,  and  which  included  a  fresh  supply 
of  photographic  materials  without  which  we  could  not 
well  proceed,  Torday  occupied  his  time  with  the  Basongo- 
Meno  chief  mentioned  to  us  by  the  chef  de  poste^  but  found 
him  a  rather  unsatisfactory  person,  who  was  usually  in  a 
state  of  intoxication  produced  by  drinking  fermented  palm 
wine.  At  this  time  I  suffered  a  great  deal  from  fever. 
The  climate  of  the  equatorial  forest,  of  which  we  were 
now  upon  the  southern  edge,  is  extremely  unhealthy, 
malaria  being  very  prevalent.  I  experienced  a  very  bad 
attack  at  Dibele,  and  I  think  that  Torday  and  the  chef  de 
paste  really  believed  that  they  would  have  to  arrange  a 
funeral,  but  I   managed   to  shake  off  the  fever,  although 


WITH   THE   BANKUTU    CANNIBALS      127 

during  the  whole  of  our  wanderings  in  the  forest  I  was 
constantly  worried  by  returns  of  it.  The  civilian  in  charge 
of  the  transport  at  Bena  Dibele  was  also  very  ill  during 
our  visit,  and  we  heard  that  one  of  the  two  white  men 
at  Kole  was  at  death's  door  with  black-water  fever,  but 
this  turned  out  to  be  an  exaggeration.  Owing  to  my  ill- 
ness I  was  unable  to  get  about  much  in  the  neighbourhood, 
while  Torday  was  engaged  upon  his  study  of  the  Basongo- 
Meno,  and  upon  the  compilation  of  some  vocabularies  of 
various  tribes  which  he  obtained  from  the  soldiers,  most 
of  whom  belonged  to  distant  parts  of  the  Congo  territory, 
for  the  Government  usually  employs  its  soldiers  at  some 
distance  from  their  homes,  so  that  a  man  may  not  be  called 
upon  to  serve  against  his  own  people,  in  which  case  he 
would  most  probably  desert.  Although  duiker  and  other 
small  antelope  and  pigs  are  common  in  the  forest,  I  was  too 
weak  to  undertake  any  shooting  excursions,  and  had  to  con- 
tent myself  with  collecting  one  or  two  monkeys,  which  I 
obtained  without  going  outside  the  station.  Life  therefore 
at  Bena  Dibele  was  not  very  interesting,  and  quite  devoid 
of  any  incident  worth  recording.  We  were  able  before 
starting  upon  our  wanderings  in  the  forest  to  see  matters 
adjusted  with  regard  to  the  chieftainship  of  Misumba  and 
Zappo-Lubumba.  We  told  the  chef  de  poste  that  at  present 
he  never  dealt  directly  with  the  real  chief  at  either  of  these 
villages,  and  he  agreed  with  us  that  the  arrangement  of 
transacting  Government  business  with  only  a  simple  elder  or 
councillor  was  unsatisfactory  to  all  concerned  ;  he  therefore 
summoned  the  real  chiefs  and  the  pseudo-chiefs  of  both  vil- 
lages to  a  meeting  at  Bena  Dibele.    They  came,  accompanied 


128      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

by  a  few  retainers.  The  chef  de  poste  addressed  them,  point- 
ing out  the  absurdity  of  the  existing  situation,  and  suggest- 
ing that  now  the  real  chiefs  should  assume  their  proper 
responsibility  to  the  Government  for  the  conduct  of  their 
people,  and  should  take  over  the  emblem  of  recognised 
authority — namely,  the  metal  disc  worn  on  a  chain  around 
the  neck.  No  one  had  the  slightest  objection  to  raise  to 
this  proposal  ;  in  fact,  the  delight  of  Pongo-Pongo  and 
Zappo  at  thus  getting  out  of  a  position  which  could 
scarcely  fail  sooner  or  later  to  become  impossible,  was  very 
genuine.  After  the  medallions  had  been  handed  over  to 
their  rightful  owners,  the  chef  de  poste  began  to  give  a  warn- 
ing to  the  people  of  Zappo-Lubumba  to  be  very  careful  in 
their  treatment  of  the  porters  of  white  men  who  passed 
through  their  village ;  inadvertently  he  commenced  to 
address  his  remarks  to  Zappo,  but  the  latter  stopped  him 
at  once.  "Do  not  caution  me,"  he  said;  "there  is  your 
recognised  chief;  deal  with  him.  I  am  well  out  of  all 
these  discussions  now  ;  I  am  a  nobody."  The  only  person 
who  did  not  seem  pleased  at  the  arrangement  was  the  real 
chief  of  Lubumba,  who  doubtless  had  enjoyed  the  oppor- 
tunity of  making  himself  disagreeable  with  no  fear  of  the 
consequences ;  Isambula  N'Genga  appeared  rather  gratified 
than  otherwise  at  receiving  the  medallion,  which  he  prob- 
ably thought  would  enhance  his  dignity  a  little,  but,  as 
usual,  he  was  too  bored  to  take  a  very  lively  interest  in  the 
proceedings. 

Despite  the  hospitable  welcome  we  had  received  at  Bena 
Dibele,  we  were  by  no  means  sorry  when  the  arrival  of  our 
goods  by  steamer  set  us  free  to  commence  our  journey  into 


WITH   THE   BANKUTU   CANNIBALS     129 

the  forest  and  put  an  end  to  the  period  of  inactivity  which 
we   had  spent  in  the  Government  station.     We  engaged 
only   about    fifty    porters    to    carry    our    loads    to    Kole, 
and   as    these   loads  consisted   to   a  great  extent  of  trade 
goods  wherewith  to   purchase  specimens   en  route^  we  had 
to  reduce   our  personal   baggage  to   the   smallest   amount 
possible.      We    left   the  remainder   of  our   belongings   at 
Bena  Dibele.      Knowing   that   we  were  about   to   enter  a 
country  where  extreme  caution  would  be  necessary  in  order 
to  avoid  hostility  on  the  part  of  the  natives,  we  considered 
it  wise  to  take  as  small  a  caravan  as  possible,  in  order  that 
we  might  be  able  the  more  easily  to  keep  our  eyes  on  our 
porters  and  prevent  them  causing  any  trouble  in  the  Ban- 
kutu   villages.     As   usual,   too,  we  determined   not  to  be 
accompanied  by  any  armed  followers,  whose  presence  might 
easily  be  taken  as  a  declaration  of  war  by  the  suspicious 
people  of  the   forest ;  our  ten  Albini  rifles   therefore  re- 
mained at  Bena  Dibele,  still  packed  as  they  had  been  sent 
from   Europe,   and  we   took  with  us  no  arms  other  than 
our  shot  guns  and   sporting  rifles.     We  were   determined 
to  endeavour  always  to  spend   the  nights  in  the  Bankutu 
villages,   however  inhospitably  we  might  be  received,  for 
we  hoped  in  this  way  to  be  able  to  gather  a  little  informa- 
tion about  the  people,  which  we  could  not  hope  to  obtain 
by  simply  passing  through  their  villages  and  camping  in 
the  forest,  although   the  latter  course   might   possibly  be 
rather  the  safer  one.     We  despatched  our  carriers  over- 
land to  Pakoba,  a  Basongo-Meno  village  near  the  Sankuru, 
about  ten  miles  to  the  west  of  Bena  Dibele,  while  we  our- 
selves proceeded  down  the  river  in  a  large  dug-out,  dis- 


I 


130      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

embarking  on  the  right  bank  to  walk  on  to  Pakoba,  which 
lies  a  mile  from  the  water.  The  bank,  although  the  dry 
season  had  really  commenced,  for  the  month  of  May  was  now 
well  advanced,  was  extremely  swampy,  but  we  were  met 
by  the  chief  of  Pakoba,  who  showed  us  the  least  muddy 
way  to  the  village,  and  we  arrived  shortly  before  sundown, 
before  several  of  our  loads  had  come  from  Dibele.  The 
Basongo-Meno  of  Pakoba  were  about  as  enthusiastic  in 
their  welcome  to  us  as  their  kinsmen  of  Zappo-Lubumba 
had  been.  They  made  excuses  to  avoid  either  giving  or 
selling  us  any  chickens,  and  took  very  little  interest  in 
our  arrival.  The  lack  of  fresh  food,  however,  did  not 
inconvenience  us,  for  we  had  brought  a  crate  full  of  live 
fowls  from  Dibele,  and  our  men  were  all  supplied  with 
a  store  of  provisions,  so  the  surliness  of  the  Basongo-Meno 
only  resulted  in  loss  of  trade  to  the  village,  and  the  night 
passed  without  any  unpleasantness  or  discomfort. 

Next  day  we  marched  for  six  hours  to  the  Bankutu 
village  of  Twipolo.  The  way  lay  in  a  northerly  direction 
through  forest,  with  scarcely  a  clearing  to  break  the  mono- 
tony of  walking  hour  after  hour  in  the  gloom  of  the  woods, 
unable  to  see  ten  yards  on  either  hand.  The  ground  was 
rather  uneven,  the  road  (or  rather  narrow  track)  crossing 
as  many  as  ten  little  streams,  each  being  at  the  bottom 
of  a  steep-sided  ravine,  the  climbing  in  and  out  of  which 
was  rather  trying  in  the  oppressive  heat  of  the  forest,  par- 
ticularly for  any  one  who,  like  myself,  had  only  partially 
recovered  from  the  effects  of  a  very  sharp  go  of  fever. 
On  the  way  we  passed  a  deserted  camp  built  by  Batetela 
rubber    collectors.       These     people     evidently    believe     in 


WITH  THE   BANKUTU   CANNIBALS      131 

making  themselves  at  home  when  out  in  the  forest  in 
search  of  rubber.  The  huts  constituting  this  camp  (and 
several  other  similar  camps  we  subsequently  passed  through) 
were,  of  course,  only  of  a  temporary  nature,  but  they  must 
have  been  quite  as  weather-proof,  before  they  had  been 
allowed  to  fall  in,  as  the  houses  occupied  by  the  Batetela 
in  their  villages.  Each  hut  had  a  bed-frame  raised  several 
inches  from  the  ground,  upon  which  mats  had  been  placed 
to  sleep  on ;  and  we  saw  outside  the  houses,  placed  in 
circles  around  the  spots  where  fires  had  evidently  been, 
stakes  driven  into  the  ground  and  lashed  together  in  an 
ingenious  imitation  of  European  deck  chairs,  the  seats 
being  made  of  roughly  plaited  vines.  But  the  most  re- 
markable thing  about  the  camp  was  a  scaffold  or  tower, 
about  ten  or  twelve  feet  in  height,  situated  in  the  centre 
of  the  group  of  huts.  We  soon  learned  the  reason  for 
the  existence  of  this  tower,  the  like  of  which  we  had  not 
previously  seen.  The  Batetela  who  used  the  camps  had 
left  their  own  country,  and  in  their  search  for  the  rubber 
vine  had  entered  the  territory  of  the  Bankutu. 

Between  the  Batetela  and  the  Bankutu  a  sort  of 
desultory  border  warfare  is  continually  taking  place, 
accordingly  the  Bankutu  would  be  only  too  glad  of 
an  opportunity  to  plunder  a  Batetela  camp,  killing  any 
defenceless  people  they  might  find  therein,  and  carrying 
off  their  bodies  to  be  eaten  in  the  village.  While  the 
Batetela  are  absent  collecting  rubber,  a  guard  is  always 
left  in  camp,  one  of  whom  acts  as  a  sentry  on  the  top  of  the 
scaffold,  from  which  elevated  position  he  can  look  down 
upon   the   tangle   of  undergrowth   surrounding    the   camp 


132      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

and,  by  detecting  the  slightest  movement  of  the  bushes, 
apprise  his  comrades  of  the  stealthy  approach  of  the  Ban- 
kutu,  which  would  not  be  noticed  by  sentries  standing  on  the 
ground  before  the  enemy  had  come  so  near  as  to  be  able  to 
use  his  deadly  poisoned  arrows  from  behind  the  cover  of 
the  underwood.  Directly  the  sentry  gives  the  alarm,  the 
signalling  drum,  already  mentioned  as  being  used  around 
Mokunji,  is  beaten,  sending  the  alarm  far  away  into  the 
forest,  and  summoning  the  rubber  collectors,  who  hasten 
back  to  defend  their  camp.  As  a  rule  the  Bankutu  then 
make  off,  for,  as  I  shall  show  later  on,  their  method  of 
warfare  inclines  them  more  to  sniping  and  surprising 
unsuspecting  enemies  than  to  risking  loss  to  themselves 
in  a  pitched  battle.  Obviously  the  look-out  on  the  tower 
would  be  of  little  use  in  the  case  of  a  night  attack,  but, 
like  many  negroes,  the  Bankutu  do  not  like  to  move  about 
at  night,  and,  consequently,  their  raids  on  the  Batetela  are 
far  less  serious  than  they  might  be.  At  Twipolo  we 
entered  the  first  Bankutu  village  we  had  seen.  These 
villages  lie  in  the  heart  of  the  forest,  so  closely  surrounded 
by  the  woods  that  the  one  street,  bordered  on  each  side  by 
huts,  of  which  they  consist,  is  rather  a  mere  widening  of 
the  track  than  a  clearing  in  the  forest.  One  comes  upon 
the  villages  quite  suddenly,  and  unless  one  has  heard  the 
crowing  of  a  cock  or  the  whistling  of  the  emerald  cuckoo 
(a  bird  which  is  seldom  to  be  found  unless  there  be  a 
clearing  of  some  sort  close  at  hand),  one  steps  out  of  the 
forest  into  the  village  before  one  has  realised  that  there  is 
a  human  habitation  within  miles.  The  villages  themselves 
though  small   and,   usually  on  the  approach  of  strangers. 


A   H.WKr  1 1-  CAN  MH  \i  . 


A    liAXKL'Tl'     \'11.I,Ai;K. 


WITH   THE   BANKUTU   CANNIBALS      133 

practically  deserted,  are  neat  and  very  picturesque.  The 
houses  are  rectangular,  and  are  built  of  the  bark  of  trees 
neatly  fastened  to  a  framework  of  stakes  and  thatched  with 
leaves  ;  next  to  the  pretty  decorated  houses  of  the  Bushongo 
of  Misumba,  the  bark  huts  of  the  Bankutu  are  the  neatest 
we  saw  during  our  wanderings  in  the  Kasai.  But  the 
people  themselves  are  by  no  means  so  prepossessing.  What 
a  contrast  they  form  to  the  tall  dignified  Bushongo  of  the 
plains  to  the  south  of  the  Sankuru  !  Small  and  very  dirty 
in  appearance,  superstitious,  timid,  and  treacherous,  they 
appear  to  have  been  influenced  by  the  oppressive  atmosphere 
and  almost  ghostly  gloom  of  their  native  forest.  As  some 
plants  require  the  rays  of  the  sun  and  the  fresh  air  to 
develop  them,  so  it  appears  to  be  with  the  negro.  The 
Bushongo  of  the  plains  are  a  fine  race  of  men  with  a  dignity 
and  certain  grace  of  manner  which  cannot  fail  to  attract  the 
attention  of  the  European  who  visits  them  ;  they  have 
evolved  for  themselves  a  high  state  of  civilisation  before 
the  white  man  ever  set  foot  in  their  country ;  they  have 
developed  to  a  greater  degree  than  most,  if  not  ail,  the 
natives  of  equatorial  Africa  such  civilised  arts  as  weaving, 
embroidery,  and  wood  carving.  The  Bankutu,  on  the 
other  hand,  are  undersized  and  ugly,  sullen  and  dis- 
agreeable in  their  manner,  and,  with  the  exception  of  the 
building  of  huts,  the  only  art  that  has  been  developed  to 
any  extent  among  them  is  the  art  of  killing  their  fellow- 
men  by  stealth. 

When  a  white  man  first  commences  a  stay  among 
negroes  he  usually  considers  them  all  to  be  ugly,  and  finds 
a   great   difftculty   in   distinguishing   individuals   from   one 


134      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

another  or  in  recognising  natives  whom  he  has  previously 
met.  As  time  goes  on,  however,  he  becomes  so  used  to 
the  negro  type  of  countenance  that  his  ideas  as  to  its 
ugliness  undergo  a  change,  and  he  soon  comes  to  regard 
many  individuals  as  quite  handsome ;  for  he  begins  to 
judge  more  by  a  bright  and  ready  smile  or  an  open  honest 
countenance  than  by  a  European  standard  of  regularity 
of  feature.  I  do  not  think,  however,  that  any  one  could 
find  much  to  admire  in  the  appearance  of  the  Bankutu. 
They  have  a  "shifty"  look  about  them — a  manner  which 
displays  no  inclination  to  trust  or  to  be  trusted.  One  can 
readily  understand  that  the  people  of  the  plains  may  regard 
the  inhabitants  of  the  equatorial  forest  as  of  supernatural 
origin,  as  the  Bushongo  regard  the  Batwa  dwarfs.  These 
dwarfs,  whom  I  have  mentioned  in  the  pages  dealing  with 
our  stay  at  Lusambo,  must  be  very  similar  in  character  to 
the  Bankutu,  but,  having  long  since  been  subjugated  by 
neighbouring  tribes,  they  are  split  up,  and  therefore  do 
not  constitute  such  a  menace  to  the  peace  of  the  district 
as  do  the  people  whose  country  we  were  now  passing 
through.  The  Bankutu  do  not  exactly  increase  their 
beauty  by  the  scars  with  which  both  sexes  ornament  their 
faces,  the  women  in  particular  rendering  their  counten- 
ances more  repulsive  than  nature  has  made  them  by  rows 
of  raised  scars  reaching  from  the  temples  across  the  cheeks 
to  the  jaw-bone.  More  debased  types  of  the  human  family 
than  these  women  it  would  be  difficult  to  imagine.  The 
men  allow  their  hair  to  grow  long,  and  the  care  they  bestow 
upon  twisting  it  into  innumerable  little  tails  hanging  back 
from  the  forehead,  saturated  with  palm  oil,  is  about  all  the 


WITH  THE   BANKUTU   CANNIBALS      135 

attention  they  pay  to  their  toilet,  for,  unlike  most  negroes, 
the  Bankutu  never  wash ;  when  crossing  a  river  they 
incidentally  remove  a  little  of  the  filth  from  their  lower 
limbs,  and,  I  believe,  when  their  condition  has  become  too 
awful  for  words,  they  will  sometimes  scrape  themselves  with 
a  knife ;  but  washing  in  the  streams  is  an  unknown  habit 
with  them.  At  Twipolo  we  were  most  ungraciously 
received.  We  saw  very  few  people  about  the  village 
and  no  one  who  could  possibly  have  been  a  man  of 
importance ;  no  act  of  violence,  however,  was  attempted 
against  our  carriers,  and  no  objection  was  raised  to  our 
pitching  our  tents  in  the  village.  Shortly  after  our  arrival 
we  heard  some  angry  discussion  taking  place  at  the  entrance 
to  the  village,  and,  fearing  that  our  porters  might  have 
caused  trouble  with  the  Bankutu,  we  hastened  to  discover 
what  was  the  matter.  We  found  that  some  Batetela 
porters  who  had  carried  loads  from  Bena  Dibele  to  Kole 
were  complaining  that,  upon  their  return  journey,  the 
Bankutu  had  placed  poisoned  spikes  in  the  track,  concealed 
by  leaves,  doubtless  in  order  to  kill  them  to  serve  as  food 
at  a  cannibal  feast.  This  sort  of  occurrence  is,  I  believe, 
by  no  means  rare,  although  the  Bankutu  living  on  the  way 
from  Dibele  to  Kole  as  a  rule  allow  caravans  conveying 
Government  property  to  pass  unmolested.  In  defence  of 
their  action  the  Bankutu  stated  that  the  Batetela  had  stolen 
some  poultry  belonging  to  the  village.  We  were  by  no 
means  pleased  at  the  possibility  of  a  breach  of  the  peace, 
which  would  almost  certainly  have  led  to  our  being  attacked 
ourselves,  so  Torday  called  the  Batetela  aside  and  advised 
them  to  do  nothing  in  the  matter  on  their  own  account,  but 


136      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

to  complain  to  the  chef  de  poste  at  Bena  Dibele  ;  this  they 
agreed  to  do,  still  bitterly  complaining  at  the  treacherous 
and,  according  to  themselves,  unprovoked  attempt  which 
had  been  made  upon  them.  Early  next  morning  they 
departed  for  Bena  Dibele  and  we  commenced  a  four 
and  a  half  hours'  march  to  the  village  of  Gamba.  As  a 
rule,  when  travelling  in  the  Congo  one  allows  one's  porters 
to  take  their  own  time  over  the  journey,  provided,  of 
course,  that  they  turn  up  with  their  loads  in  reasonable 
time  at  the  village  where  the  night  is  to  be  spent.  This 
is  far  more  convenient  for  the  men,  who  can  rest  for  a  few 
minutes  when  they  feel  inclined,  than  for  them  to  march 
in  a  body,  halting  only  when  the  white  man,  who  is  not 
carrying  a  load,  thinks  that  he  would  like  to  sit  down  by 
the  wayside  and  enjoy  a  pipe.  The  porters  often  prefer  to 
travel  much  faster  than  the  white  man  and  then  rest  for 
some  time,  and,  very  often,  bathe  in  a  stream  before  con- 
tinuing the  journey.  By  allowing  the  men  to  do  this  one 
certainly  contributes  to  their  comfort,  and  the  loads  are 
almost  always  brought  punctually  to  their  destination. 
Our  men  were  marching  this  way  through  the  Bankutu 
country,  for  we  knew  that  Government  loads  were  allowed 
by  the  Bankutu  to  pass  unmolested,  and  we  considered 
that  our  men  would  be  just  as  safe  travelling  in  this  way 
as  if  they  marched  in  close  attendance  upon  ourselves. 

As  we  entered  Gamba  most  of  our  men  had  already 
reached  the  village,  and  one  of  them  was  leisurely  walking 
up  the  street  when  I  noticed  a  local  native,  concealed  from 
the  view  of  our  porters  by  a  hut,  tentatively  drawing  at  his 
bowstring,  upon  which  an  arrow  was  placed,  and  staring 


WITH  THE   BANKUTU   CANNIBALS     137 

so  longingly  at  the  back  of   our  carrier  that  he  had  not 
heard  our  approach.     Upon  our  demanding  sharply  what 
he  was  doing  the  little  man  vanished  into  the  forest  behind 
the  houses.     He  may  not  have  intended  to  shoot ;  but  our 
carrier   was  a  big  fleshy  man  who   might   well   tempt  the 
arrow  of  such  an  insatiable  cannibal  as  the  Bankutu.     We 
paid    no  further  attention  to    the  incident,  and   no  active 
hostility    was    shown  to  us    at    Gamba.       Our    reception 
was   of  the  kind  to  which   we    soon   grew  accustomed   in 
the  Bankutu  country.     We  found  but  few  people  about  the 
village,   and   were  met   by   an  ill-conditioned    youth,   who 
appeared  to  be  in  charge  of  the  place.     We  inquired  if  we 
could  see  the  chief,  whereupon  the  youth  informed  us  that 
he  was  that  dignitary.     This  was  so  obviously  false  that  we 
said  that  we  did  not  believe  it.      "  The  chief  is  dead,"  replied 
the  boy.     We  inquired  for  the  elders  ;  they  too  were  dead. 
We  asked  if  food  would  be  sold  to  our  porters,  but  were 
told  that  the  manioc  had  all  been  destroyed  by  wild  pigs 
and   no  food  existed  in   the   village.      Could  we  buy   any 
chickens  }     No  poultry  was  kept  here  (and  this  despite  the 
fact  that  we  could  see  many  fowls  about  the  place).     "  Very 
well,"  we  said,  "  we  have  sufficient  for  our  men  and  our- 
selves to  eat ;  will  you  show  us  where  to  obtain  drinking 
water."     "  We  have  no  water  except  when  it  rains,"  was 
the  answer.     This  reception  is  typical  of  the  way  in  which 
the  Bankutu  treat  visitors  to  their  country.     Needless  to  say, 
a  clear  stream  was  found  by  our  men  in  a  very  few  minutes 
(one  way  of  finding  water  being  to  follow  the  village  dogs  at 
sundown),  and  it  cannot  be  imagined  that  the  natives  hoped 
we  could  believe  such  a  tale  about  scarcity  of  water  in  so 


138      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

damp  a  place  as  the  forest.  We  were  careful  never  to  dis- 
play annoyance  at  the  treatment  we  received,  although  it  is 
rather  trying  to  one's  temper,  never  very  good  in  the 
terrible  forest  climate,  to  be  greeted  with  this  sort  of  thing 
when  arriving  in  a  village  tired  after  a  march,  and  later  on 
we  managed  to  induce  the  youth  who  posed  as  chief  to  come 
and  talk  to  us.  We  began  through  him  to  try  and  buy  a 
few  things  in  the  village.  We  selected  an  arrow  and  offered 
a  high  price  for  it ;  the  offer  was  refused.  We  then  steadily 
raised  our  offer  until  it  reached  quite  ridiculous  proportions, 
but  all  to  no  purpose  ;  the  Bankutu  were  evidently  deter- 
mined not  to  trade  with  us.  Nor  could  we  obtain  any 
great  amount  of  information  at  Gamba,  for  we  had  to  rely 
mainly  upon  our  own  observation,  and  therefore  could  glean 
nothing  of  the  social  organisation,  &c.,  of  the  tribe.  In  the 
course  of  conversation,  however,  we  learned  that  all  the  other 
Bankutu  villages  were  in  the  habit  of  frequently  eating  human 
flesh,  but  were  assured  that  the  people  of  Gamba  were  far 
too  virtuous  to  do  anything  so  horrible.  Curiously  enough 
we  heard  a  similar  tale  in  other  villages,  the  inhabitants  of 
the  place  we  happened  to  be  in  always  claiming  to  be  the 
only  Bankutu  who  were  not  cannibals  !  Later  on  we  found 
out  a  good  deal  more  about  these  savages,  and  were  able  to 
realise  how  difficult  it  is  for  the  white  man  to  enter  into  any 
negotiations  with  them.  I  have  stated  that  we  never  saw 
any  one  whom  we  really  believed  to  be  the  chief  or  even  an 
elder  of  a  village.  It  appears  that  every  man  of  the 
Bankutu  has  two  huts,  one  in  the  villages  such  as  we  have 
seen,  and  another  some  distance  off  in  the  forest ;  he  keeps 
all  his  valuables  at  his  forest  hut,  and  near  to  it  are  his 


WITH   THE   BANKUTU   CANNIBALS      139 

plantations.  Upon  the  approach  of  strangers  the  people 
make  off  into  the  woods,  and  take  up  their  residence  in 
their  forest  dwellings  which  are  scattered  about,  not  grouped 
together  in  hamlets,  and  therefore  are  extremely  difficult 
to  find.  The  villages,  which  contain  nothing  of  value,  are 
left  in  charge  of  a  few  slaves,  or  of  such  of  the  Bankutu  as 
may  care  to  remain  and  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  strangers. 
The  Bankutu  would  lose  practically  nothing  were  the  in- 
truders to  burn  their  villages  to  the  ground ;  for  the 
erection  of  a  new  settlement  would  occupy  but  little  time, 
and,  in  the  meanwhile,  the  natives  could  reside  in  their 
"  country  houses "  in  the  depth  of  the  forest.  Not  long 
before  our  visit  to  this  country  a  Government  official  had 
determined  by  hook  or  by  crook  to  become  acquainted  with 
the  dignitaries  of  a  certain  Bankutu  village.  Upon  arriving 
at  the  place  accompanied  by  an  escort  of  troops,  he  found 
not  a  soul  in  the  village.  Having  plenty  of  provisions  and 
any  amount  of  time  to  spare,  he  decided  to  quietly  settle 
down  and  await  the  return  of  the  people.  Day  after  day 
went  by  and  still  the  Bankutu  failed  to  put  in  an  appear- 
ance, and  at  last  the  official,  called  away  by  other  duties, 
was  obliged  to  leave  without  so  much  as  setting  eyes 
on  a  native,  although  doubtless  his  own  movements  and 
those  of  his  men  were  closely  watched  by  Bankutu 
concealed  in  the  forest.  The  white  man  probably 
knew  nothing  of  the  existence  of  other  huts  in  the 
woods,  or  he  would  not  have  wasted  his  time.  As  I 
have  said  one  sees  no  plantations  when  marching  along  the 
roads,  but  this  is  not  only  the  case  in  the  Bankutu 
country ;    in  many  districts  where  the  natives  grow  food- 


140      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

stuffs  in  large  quantities  the  fields  are  situated  in  out-of-the- 
way  places  so  as  to  escape  the  notice  of  the  passer-by, 
whereas  in  other  places,  which  really  produce  no  more,  acre 
after  acre  of  plantations  are  to  be  seen.  The  best  way  to 
gain  an  idea  of  the  amount  of  land  under  cultivation  is  to 
get  some  local  native  to  accompany  you  in  search  of  guinea 
fowl,  for  these  birds  are  always  to  be  found  near  the  fields. 
The  white  man  who  merely  passes  through  a  district  and 
stays  only  in  the  villages  cannot  hope  to  form  any  accurate 
opinion  of  the  extent  to  which  the  natives  cultivate  their 
land.  After  leaving  Gamba  we  marched  through  an  open 
space  about  nine  miles  long,  but  quite  narrow,  the  first  piece 
of  really  open  country  we  had  met  with  since  leaving  the  San- 
kuru,  and  arrived  at  a  village  where  we  met  with  a  better 
reception,  although  I  think  it  highly  improbable  that  even 
here,  at  Chenjo,  we  came  in  contact  with  the  real  chief. 
The  Bankutu  clearly  could  not  make  us  out.  We  could  not 
be  Government  officials,  as  we  were  unescorted  by  troops, 
and  therefore  had  presumably  not  come  to  inquire  into  any 
of  the  acts  of  violence  towards  their  neighbours,  of  which, 
no  doubt,  every  hamlet  we  passed  through  had  been  guilty  ; 
traders  and  missionaries  had  not,  at  the  time  of  our  visit, 
entered  the  country,  so  the  Bankutu  could  not  have  mis- 
taken us  for  either  of  the  two  other  kinds  of  white  men  known 
in  the  Congo ;  we  bore  a  good  reputation  as  peaceful 
travellers,  who  appeared  to  want  nothing  except  to  purchase 
articles  which  the  natives  had  never  previously  had  a  chance 
to  sell,  and  we  were  prepared  to  pay  exorbitant  prices  for 
them.  Altogether  the  reason  of  our  visit  was  a  mystery  to 
the  Bankutu  ;  and  very  likely  the  fact  that  we  aroused  their 


WITH   THE   BANKUTU   CANNIBALS      141 

curiosity  contributed  largely  to  the  safety  of  our  passage 
through  their  territory.  At  the  village  of  Asenge,  only 
one  hour's  march  from  the  Lukenye  River,  which  we 
reached  after  eight  hours'  trying  walk  through  the  forest, 
we  were  also  fairly  well  received,  but  we  arrived  too  late  to 
observe  much  of  our  surroundings.  One  curious  thing, 
however,  we  did  notice,  and  that  was  the  presence  of  a 
couple  of  lads,  who  continually  nodded  their  heads  until  it 
seemed  as  if  they  must  inevitably  fall  from  their  bodies. 
Upon  inquiring  the  reason  for  this  extraordinary  proceed- 
ing we  were  told  that  it  was  part  of  a  cure  for  stomach-ache  ! 
We  subsequently  learned,  however,  that  the  lads  were 
apprenticed  to  the  local  witch-doctor,  and  the  necessity  for 
ceaselessly  nodding  the  head  was  part  of  the  mystic  cere- 
mony connected  with  their  initiation  into  his  magic  art. 

The  next  day  we  hurried  on  to  Kole,  on  the  shore  of 
the  Lukenye  River.  The  Government  station  lies  upon  the 
right  bank,  about  forty  feet  above  the  water's  edge,  and  is 
built  in  a  space  cleared  of  trees,  in  the  midst  of  the  densest 
forest,  which  is  just  large  enough  to  allow  room  for  the 
houses  of  the  two  white  officials,  the  rubber  houses,  stores, 
and  quarters  of  the  fifty  soldiers  and  the  workmen,  and  a 
fairly  large  parade  ground.  The  bungalows  are  built  of 
the  stems  of  palm  leaves,  through  which  sufficient  air  can 
pass  to  relieve  the  oppressive  heat  in  the  day  time,  but 
which  admit  a  good  deal  of  damp  at  night.  Upon  our 
arrival  we  were  welcomed  by  Lieutenant  Peffer,  the  chef  de 
poste^  and  by  his  assistant,  the  white  N.C.O.,  who  had  re- 
cently been  ill  with  what  he  imagined  was  blackwater  fever, 
but  which  in  reality  had  turned  out  to  be  a  severe  attack  of 


142      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE    KASAI 

bilious  fever.  The  chef  de  poste  at  once  remarked  that  he 
considered  we  had  run  a  great  risk  in  passing  through  the 
Bankutu  villages  unattended  by  an  armed  force ;  upon 
hearing  our  reasons  for  so  doing  he  agreed  that  we  had 
chosen  the  wisest  course,  in  fact  the  only  one  open  to 
travellers  who  wanted  to  see  the  Bankutu.  Conversation 
then  turned  upon  these  charming  cannibals,  and  we  learned 
from  Monsieur  Peffer  something  of  the  difficulties  with 
which  a  Government  official  is  surrounded  in  this  district. 
The  people  around  Kole  are  so  hostile  to  the  white  man 
that  the  place  is  really  never  free  from  the  possibility  of 
attack ;  indeed,  so  possible  is  a  rising  of  the  natives  at  any 
moment  that  cassava  is  planted  between  the  buildings 
actually  within  the  station  to  avoid  the  loss  of  men  which 
would  ensue  were  it  necessary  to  go  out  into  the  woods 
to  fetch  provisions  from  plantations  situated  at  even  a  little 
distance  from  the  post,  in  addition  to  which  women  work- 
ing in  isolated  fields  would  never  be  safe  from  the  arrows 
of  any  Bankutu  who  might  happen  to  pass  by  even  in  times 
of  so-called  peace.  The  following  incident  may  give  some 
idea  of  the  treatment  white  men  and  their  native  employes 
may  expect  at  the  hands  of  the  Bankutu.  A  few  days 
march  from  Kole  there  exists  a  section  of  the  Bankutu 
tribe  known  as  the  Tono.  These  people  had  never  in  any 
way  been  subjugated  by  the  white  man's  Government,  and 
had  plundered  and  murdered  their  neighbours  at  their  own 
sweet  will.  The  chef  de  poste  at  Kole  determined  to  try 
and  win  their  confidence  by  kindness.  He  accordingly 
sent  two  messengers  to  them  requesting  their  chief  to  call 
upon  him  and  to  make  friends  with  him,  saying  that  on  no 


»wvfr  V?  ■  «Ft.«r«: 


WITH   THE   BANKUTU   CANNIBALS      143 

account  would  he  demand  any  taxes,  and  guaranteeing  the 
absolute  safety  of  any  of  the  Tone  who  cared  to  visit  him  ; 
he  furthermore  promised  the  chief  a  good  present  in  trade 
goods  if  he  cared  to  come  and  fetch  it.  A  few  days  later 
the  two  muzzle-loaders  with  which  the  messengers  had 
been  armed  were  returned  to  the  chef  de  poste  by  a  chief 
who  was  friendly  both  with  him  and  with  the  Bankutu,  the 
Tone  having  eaten  the  envoys  and  having  sent  back  the 
guns  with  a  message  to  the  effect  that  the  firearms  would 
be  useless  to  them,  but  that  the  white  man  could  forward 
them  a  fresh  supply  of  messengers  as  soon  as  he  liked  ! 

The  chef  de  poste  knew  that  any  attempt  at  reprisals  on 
his  part  could  only  end  in  his  finding  a  few  deserted  villages, 
and  probably  in  his  losing  a  number  of  men  in  the  process, 
so  he  could  do  nothing  but  ignore  the  incident.  Time 
went  by,  and  one  day  the  officer  was  amazed  to  learn 
from  the  friendly  chief  that  the  Tono  were  anxious  to  make 
his  acquaintance,  and  if  he  would  agree  to  let  bygones  be 
bygones,  they  would  call  upon  him  at  Kole.  He  was 
delighted.  He  imagined  that  his  patience  with  them  had 
touched  the  heart  of  the  Bankutu,  and,  no  doubt,  indulged 
in  many  wild  dreams  of  turning  his  district  into  a  happy 
peaceful  country,  where  murder  and  cannibalism  would  be 
unknown. 

Having  pledged  his  word  that  no  harm  should  befal 
the  Tono  chief  and  his  followers,  he  appointed  a  day  for  a 
meeting  at  the  Government  station.  The  natives  duly 
appeared,  and,  before  entering  the  post,  laid  down  their 
bows  and  arrows  beside  a  little  stream,  coming  unarmed 
into  the  presence  of  the  white  man,  who,  on  his  side,  was 


144      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

careful  to  avoid  any  display  of  armed  force  by  letting  his 
soldiers  be  too  much  in  evidence.  The  interview  was  of  a 
highly  satisfactory  nature  ;  gifts  were  exchanged,  and  the 
official  preached  a  nice  little  homily  to  the  Bankutu  upon 
the  desirability  of  peace,  the  foolishness  of  eating  mes- 
sengers, and  the  pleasant  conditions  which  would  prevail 
if  the  natives  would  only  trust  him  and  come  often  to  visit 
him.  The  Tono  expressed  their  regret  at  having  incon- 
venienced the  white  man  by  dining  off  his  servants,  and 
promised  that  they  would  never  transgress  again. 

Then  they  departed,  leaving  the  chef  de  posle  very 
pleased  with  his  day's  work.  On  arriving  at  the  brook 
beside  which  they  had  left  their  arms  the  Tono  found  two 
or  three  of  the  soldiers'  wives  washing  clothes  ;  in  a  moment 
they  had  shot  them,  and,  carrying  off  their  bodies,  dis- 
appeared into  the  forest !  So  much  for  the  good  faith  of 
the  Bankutu.  Obviously  such  incorrigible  rogues  require 
a  severe  lesson,  and  it  would  appear  that  after  an  outrage 
such  as  I  have  described  a  strong  force  should  be  sent  into 
their  country  to  administer  to  them  the  punishment  that 
they  undoubtedly  deserve.  But  the  Bankutu  method  of 
making  war  in  their  native  forest  is  such  that  a  military 
expedition  would  have  but  little  chance  of  dealing  a  blow  at 
them.  The  roads  leading  from  village  to  village  are  the 
merest  tracks,  so  narrow  that  one's  elbows  brush  against 
the  bushes  on  either  hand  as  one  walks  along  them,  while 
the  forest  is  so  dense  that  one  can  scarcely  distinguish  any- 
thing even  a  few  feet  from  the  wayside.  In  such  a  country 
where  any  shooting  must  take  place  at  the  shortest  of 
ranges,  the  bows  of  the  Bankutu  are  at  least  equal  to  the 


WITH   THE   BANKUTU   CANNIBALS      145 

rifles  of  the  soldiers,  and  their  poisoned  arrows  are  certain 
to  kill  where  a  bullet  might  only  effect  the  slightest  of 
wounds.  It  would  be  perfectly  easy  for  the  Bankutu  to 
wait  by  the  side  of  the  track  concealed  in  the  undergrowth 
and  quietly  pick  off  the  troops  as  they  passed  in  single 
file,  for  flanking  parties,  if  thrown  out  on  either  side  of  the 
road,  would  literally  have  to  cut  their  way  through  the 
tangle  of  bushes,  and  would  thus  render  the  advance  of 
the  whole  column  so  slow  as  to  destroy  any  faint  hope  that 
might  exist  of  its  coming  unexpectedly  upon  a  village  and 
surprising  its  inhabitants.  The  forest,  which  is  almost 
impassable  to  troops  attired  in  blouses  and  breeches,  and 
encumbered  by  their  accoutrements,  scarcely  hinders  the 
movements  of  the  scantily  clad  Bankutu.  But  the  natives 
have  other  methods  of  warfare,  hardly  less  effective  than 
ambushing  the  advancing  column,  and  absolutely  unattended 
by  danger  to  themselves.  In  addition  to  placing  little 
spikes,  steeped  in  deadly  poison,  beneath  the  fallen  leaves 
on  the  road  to  wound  the  naked  feet  of  the  soldiers,  one 
prick  from  which  will  often  prove  fatal  in  less  than  half-an- 
hour,  they  dig  pits  in  the  track,  carefully  concealed  with  a 
covering  of  leaves,  at  the  bottom  of  which  poisoned  stakes 
are  in  readiness  to  impale  any  one  who  slips  into  them. 
This  is  a  very  common  form  of  trap  used  in  most  parts  of 
Africa  for  the  capture  of  game,  and  the  existence  of  which 
makes  it  necessary  to  walk  with  great  caution  when  shoot- 
ing in  parts  of  the  forest  where  such  devices  are  employed. 
The  Bankutu  often  dig  such  pits  in  their  villages  before 
deserting  them  at  the  approach  of  the  troops,  and  place 
chickens  upon  them  in  the  hope  that  the  soldiers  will  be 

K 


146      LAND   AND    PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

entrapped  when  they  attempt  to  take  the  fowls.  Another 
and  far  more  ingenious  trap  used  in  war  is  one  which  con- 
sists of  a  bow  with  a  poisoned  arrow  set,  after  the  manner  of 
a  spring  gun,  in  such  a  way  that  the  removal  of  a  branch 
across  the  roadway  or  some  similar  obstacle  will  launch 
forth  the  arrow  upon  its  errand  of  death  from  beneath  the 
shelter  of  the  underwood.  These  automatic  bow  traps  are 
often  set  in  the  deserted  huts,  so  that  the  pushing  aside  of 
the  doors  when  the  soldiers  search  the  village  will  release 
the  arrows.  Upon  one  occasion  the  chef  de  poste  of  Kole 
entered  a  Bankutu  village  accompanied  by  his  troops  ;  as 
usual,  the  place  was  deserted,  but  the  sound  of  a  child 
crying  attracted  the  officer's  attention  to  the  edge  of  the 
forest  behind  the  huts,  where  he  saw  a  tiny  baby  evidently 
abandoned  by  its  mother  in  her  hasty  flight  into  the  woods. 
Filled  with  pity  he  hurried  to  the  spot,  and,  calling  to  a 
soldier  to  take  charge  of  the  baby,  he  was  about  to  pick  it 
up  when  the  soldier  pulled  him  forcibly  backwards.  The 
man  had  noticed  a  string  round  the  baby's  body  which  was 
connected  with  the  bushes  behind  it.  Examination  of  the 
bushes  disclosed  a  spring-bow  trap  to  which  the  child  had 
been  attached  as  bait ! 

These  are  but  a  few  of  the  stratagems  to  which  the 
Bankutu  resort  not  only  in  time  of  actual  war,  but  at 
any  time  when  dealing  with  the  white  man  or  his  servants. 
The  chef  de  poste  at  Kole  finds  it  unwise  to  go  even  the 
two  hours'  march  inland  to  the  spot  where  the  Govern- 
ment station  until  recently  had  been  situated  without  ten 
soldiers  to  whom  ball  cartridges  have  been  served  out. 
It  is  scarcely  astonishing  that  warfare  in  the  forest,  where 


WITH   THE   BANKUTU   CANNIBALS     147 

the  soldiers  perish  without  so  much  as  setting  eyes  on  an 
enemy,  is  extremely  trying  to  the  nerves  of  the  troops. 
The  greatest  success  which  a  military  expedition  could 
achieve  would  be  merely  the  burning  of  a  few  villages, 
which  would  be  rebuilt  in  no  time  without  even  incon- 
veniencing the  natives ;  and  the  authorities  strictly  prohibit 
the  burning  of  villages  in  war.  The  chef  de  -poste  at  Kole, 
therefore,  has  about  as  thankless  a  task  as  could  fall  to  the 
lot  of  man.  In  addition  to  the  difficulty  of  his  work  and 
the  risks  he  runs  in  the  execution  of  his  duty,  his  life  is 
rendered  miserable,  and  constantly  threatened -by  the  terrible 
nature  of  the  climate. 

Closely  surrounded  by  the  impenetrable  forest,  there  is 
a  lack  of  air  at  Kole  which  renders  the  great  heat  of  noon- 
day oppressive  in  the  extreme,  while  at  dusk  a  light  grey 
mist  descends  upon  the  station,  so  damp  that  one's  clothes 
become  wringing  wet  if  one  sits  out  of  doors  after  sundown, 
and  the  woods  emit  a  fcEtid  stench  of  decaying  vegetation 
which  is  often  nearly  sufficient  to  make  one  sick  if  one  is  out 
in  the  forest  as  darkness  comes  on.  The  grey  mist  which 
is,  I  believe,  common  to  most  parts  of  the  Congo  forest, 
rises  again  very  late  in  the  morning  at  Kole,  for  the  steamers 
which  occasionally  come  up  the  Lukenye  can  rarely  get 
under  way  before  nine  or  ten  o'clock,  and  I  have  known  the 
mist  over  the  parade  ground  to  be  so  thick  as  to  prevent 
the  soldiers  from  drilling  before  eleven  in  the  morning. 
Some  idea  of  the  amount  of  moisture  in  the  air  of  the  forest 
may  be  obtained  when  I  say  that  a  gun  left  uncovered  in 
one's  tent  becomes  red  with  rust  in  twenty-four  hours.  In 
the  day-time  the  atmosphere  of  the  woods  resembles  that  of 


148      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

a  hot-house  ;  at  night  that  of  a  v/ell.  With  a  climate  like 
this  and  swarms  of  mosquitos  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at 
that  the  white  man  is  continually  down  with  fever,  and  the 
presence  of  the  innumerable  tsetse-flies  on  the  Lukenye 
adds  yet  another  risk — that  of  sleeping  sickness — to  the 
already  sufficient  number  that  exist  owing  to  the  natives 
and  the  climate  around  Kole. 

We  succeeded  during  our  stay  at  this  salubrious  post  in 
becoming  more  or  less  friendly  with  one  or  two  individuals 
of  the  Bankutu,  and  from  them  we  contrived  to  learn  a 
little  about  the  manners  and  customs  of  that  delightful 
people,  in  addition  to  their  methods  of  war  which  I  have 
just  described.  I  have  said  that  they  are  cannibals  ;  but 
the  term  "  cannibal,"  which  is,  of  course,  applicable  to 
people  who  only  partake  of  human  flesh  at  the  rarest 
intervals  in  accordance  with  some  ceremonial  custom,  is 
hardly  strong  enough  to  describe  the  man-eating  tendencies 
of  the  Bankutu.  They  actually  stalk  and  shoot  men  for 
food  as  other  natives  hunt  animals,  and  this  despite  the  fact 
that  their  country  teems  with  game.  But  the  most  re- 
markable thing  about  them  is  that  they  never  bury  their 
slaves ;  no  matter  of  what  complaint  he  may  have  died,  a 
slave  is  invariably  eaten.  The  reason  for  this  disgusting 
practice  is  the  fear  that  the  ghost  of  a  slave  might  return 
to  haunt  a  master  who  had  ill-treated  him,  whereas  if  the 
body  is  eaten  the  Bankutu  believe  that  the  soul  cannot 
return.  The  habit  of  eating  slaves  is  carried  to  such  an 
extent  that  a  lazy  slave  is  often  sold  as  food,  and  in  a 
quarrel  between  two  Bankutu  the  aggrieved  party  will 
frequently  kill  a  slave  belonging  to  the   offender  and  dine 


WITH   THE   BANKUTU  CANNIBALS      149 

off  his  body  in  company  with  his  friends.  It  might  possibly 
be  imagined  that  people  so  debased  as  the  Bankutu  would 
fall  upon  a  human  body  like  hyenas  upon  the  carcase  of  an 
animal  and  tear  it  limb  from  limb,  eating  the  flesh  raw  as 
they  rent  it  from  the  bones,  yet  such  is  not  the  case.  Great 
care  is  exercised  upon  the  cooking  of  human  meat,  and  it  is 
even  served  up  in  quite  a  civilised  manner,  in  little  rolls  like 
bacon.  I  have  not  given  by  any  means  all  the  information 
at  my  disposal  with  regard  to  the  cannibalistic  habits  of  the 
Bankutu,  but  I  have  said  enough  to  show  that  even  to  this 
day  there  exists  in  Central  Africa,  in  the  heart  of  the  great 
equatorial  forest,  a  people  whose  daily  lives  are  as  wild  and 
whose  customs  are  as  disgusting  as  those  of  any  savages  who 
figure  in  a  boys'  book  of  adventure.  To  many  people  in 
England  it  may  seem  incredible  that  tribes  can  exist  in  such 
a  state  of  barbarity  at  the  beginning  of  the  twentieth  cen- 
tury, but,  despite  the  opening  up  of  Africa,  the  mines,  the 
railways,  the  hundred  and  one  ways  in  which  European 
influence  has  begun  to  make  itself  felt  over  enormous  areas 
of  the  dark  continent,  there  are  yet  a  great  many  out-of-the- 
way  places  where  the  savage  is  as  much  a  savage  to-day  as 
he  was,  say,  five  hundred  years  ago.  Some  day,  no  doubt, 
the  forest  around  Kole  may  be  as  peaceful  a  district  as  any 
in  Africa,  but  until  the  Bankutu  have  been  completely 
brought  into  subjection  there  can  never  be  peace  in  the 
land.  How  to  deal  with  such  people  is  one  of  the  hardest 
problems  the  Government  has  to  face.  It  is,  of  course, 
possible  that  a  given  white  man,  who,  possessed  of  infinite 
patience  and  tact,  might  by  his  own  personal  magnetism 
influence  the  Bankutu   for  good  ;  but   the   process   would 


ISO      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

take  quite  an  ordinary  lifetime,  and  lifetimes  are  very  short 
in  the  forest.  The  only  course  appears  to  me  to  be  to 
encourage  the  establishment  of  settlements  in  the  Bankutu 
country  by  some  such  friendly  and  progressive  peoples  as  the 
Batetela,  the  excellent  results  of  whose  occupation  of  the  north 
of  the  Lodja  I  shall  describe  in  due  course,  I  hear  that  some 
of  the  Batetela  who  mutinied  several  years  ago  when  serving 
in  the  army,  and  who,  after  being  a  scourge  to  the  southern 
part  of  the  Congo,  have  only  recently  been  captured,  are  to 
be  allowed  to  establish  themselves  in  the  district  around 
Kole.  The  Bankutu  are  far  too  suspicious  to  combine  with 
the  mutineers  in  any  future  rising  against  the  Government, 
and  one  may  hope  that  the  ex-soldiers  may  soon  be  able  to 
render  their  villages  as  prosperous  as  have  their  kinsmen 
farther  to  the  east. 

If  to  no  one  else,  the  forest  should  prove  attractive  to  the 
naturalist,  although  its  impenetrable  character  renders  the 
stalking  of  game  by  a  white  man  almost  a  waste  of  time. 
The  woods  abound  in  animal  life,  very  much  of  which  must 
be  quite  unknown  to  zoologists  in  Europe,  and  which  will, 
in  all  probability,  remain  unknown  for  many  years  to  come 
owing  to  the  inhospitable  nature  of  the  land  and  the  people. 
Monkeys  are  represented  by  many  species,  several  of  them 
doubtless  undescribed,  while  pigs  and  small  antelopes  abound. 
We  were  lucky  enough  to  obtain  specimens  of  both  male 
and  female  of  a  very  small  duiker  which  had  not  previously 
been  brought  to  Europe,  and  which  Mr.  Oldfield  Thomas 
has  done  me  the  honour  of  naming  after  myself,  cephalophos 
simpsoni.  This  little  antelope  is  of  a  vandyke  brown  colour 
on  the  back,  passing  through  various  shades  to  a  light  brown 


The  EouAPoKiAi.  fokkst 


WITH   THE   BANKUTU   CANNIBALS     151 

on  the  chest ;  its  horns  are  very  small.  It  must  exist  in 
considerable  numbers  around  Kole,  but  one's  chances  of 
obtaining  a  shot  at  the  wary  little  beast  are  extremely  remote. 
The  antelope  family  is  also  represented  in  this  neighbour- 
hood by  a  bushbuck,  a  sitatunga,  and  at  least  one  other 
duiker.  Elephant  and  buffalo  are  not  to  be  found  near 
Kole,  and  the  Lukenye  is  too  rapid  to  form  a  haunt  of 
hippopotami ;  large  game  is  therefore  conspicuous  by  its 
absence.  I  may  here  mention  that  during  our  wanderings 
in  the  Kasai  we  never  heard  of  the  existence  of  any  animal 
which  could  possibly  have  been  the  okapi ;  but  I  should  not 
like  to  say  that  it  may  not  exist  in  the  forest  to  the  north  of 
the  Sankuru.  Our  stay  at  Kole  was  not  marked  by  any  act 
of  aggression  on  the  part  of  the  Bankutu,  and  passed  off 
without  any  serious  discomfort  to  ourselves,  with  the 
exception  of  sundry  attacks  of  malaria,  to  which  I  was  now 
very  frequently  subject.  During  our  sojourn  there  the 
chef  de  poste  received  a  visit  from  another  official  who  really 
belonged  to  the  administration  of  the  district  of  Lac  Leo- 
pold II.,  but  who,  finding  himself  with  his  steamer  on  the 
Lukenye  river  within  easy  reach  of  Kole,  had  continued 
his  voyage  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  chef  de  poste.  Upon  his 
return  he  narrowly  escaped  drowning,  for  his  vessel  was 
swept  by  the  force  of  the  stream  on  to  some  rocks  near 
Dikese,  and  sank  in  a  few  moments,  the  European  captain 
saving  himself  by  swimming,  while  the  Government  official 
was  rescued  by  one  of  the  native  crew.  No  lives  were  lost, 
but  the  white  men  and  crew  who  were  thus  forced  to  take 
shelter  in  the  forest  were  lucky  to  escape  being  eaten,  a  fate 
which  overtook  the  passengers  on  the  Ville  de  Eruxelles  when 


152      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

that  vessel  foundered  on  the  Upper  Congo  in  1909.  We 
had  wished  to  visit  the  Tono,  whom  I  have  already  men- 
tioned as  living  a  few  days'  march  from  Kole,  for  this  sub- 
tribe  of  the  Bankutu  were  said  to  manufacture  a  certain 
kind  of  strange  currency  of  which  we  were  anxious  to  obtain 
specimens,  but  such  a  journey  was  impossible.  Lieutenant 
PefFer  told  us  that  we  could  certainly  go  if  we  wished  to  do 
so,  but  that  he  himself  should  insist  upon  accompanying  us 
with  at  least  thirty  of  the  fifty  soldiers  which  constituted 
the  garrison  of  Kole.  To  go  with  the  troops  meant  that 
we  should  never  behold  a  native  and  would  probably  be 
ambushed  on  the  way,  so  we  -abandoned  all  idea  of  carrying 
out  an  extended  tour  in  the  country  of  the  Bankutu,  from 
whom  we  could  really  hope  to  glean  very  little  information 
beyond  what  we  had  been  able  to  pick  up  from  a  few  friendly 
individuals.  We  accordingly,  after  a  little  over  three  weeks 
spent  at  Kole,  took  the  opportunity  afforded  by  the  arrival 
of  a  small  steam  tug  to  proceed  up  the  Lukenye  to  Lodja, 
by  no  means  sorry  to  leave  behind  us  such  treacherous 
natives  as  the  Bankutu. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  PEOPLES  OF  THE  GREAT  FOREST 

The  voyage  up  the  river  was  exciting,  if  not  particularly 
comfortable.  The  Lukenye  is  narrow  and  very  tortuous, 
with  an  extremely  violent  current,  which  renders  naviga- 
tion very  dangerous.  Just  at  the  Government  station  at 
Kole  its  width  is  nearly  two  hundred  yards,  but  here  the 
banks  have  been  considerably  worn  away  by  a  whirlpool 
which  exists  just  below  some  rocks,  between  which  the 
stream  rushes  with  great  force.  This  whirlpool  has  its 
uses,  for  by  pushing  a  large  canoe  from  the  slack  water  by 
the  bank  into  the  course  of  the  whirlpool  the  vessel  is 
set  in  motion  and  carried  in  a  semi-circular  course  towards 
the  opposite  shore,  upon  approaching  which  a  few  strokes 
of  the  paddles  will  drive  it  out  of  the  current  into  the  still 
water  under  the  bank ;  in  this  way  one  paddler  can  take 
across  the  river  a  canoe  which  it  would  necessitate,  under 
ordinary  circumstances,  three  or  four  men  to  move.  I 
once  shot  a  duck  in  the  evening,  which  fell  into  this 
whirlpool ;  next  day  we  retrieved  the  bird,  which  had  been 
floating  round  in  a  circle  all  night. 

Above  Kole  the  Lukenye  soon  becomes  much  narrower, 
until  at  Lodja  its  width  is  not  more  than  about  thirty 
yards.  The  vessel  which  occasionally  makes  the  journey 
is  a  stout  little  tug,  driven  by  a  propeller  instead  of  the 


154      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

usual  stern  wheel,  to  either  side  of  which  iron  lighters  are 
attached  to  carry  cargo.  The  boat  was  commanded  by  a 
native  mechanic,  who  hailed  from  Sierra  Leone.  In  addi- 
tion to  the  numerous  sharp  bends,  often  considerably 
exceeding  a  right  angle,  with  which  the  course  of  the 
Lukenye  abounds,  many  submerged  rocks  and  "  snags '' 
formed  by  fallen  trees  add  greatly  to  the  danger  of  naviga- 
tion. As  the  steamer  slowly  forces  her  way  against  the 
stream,  often  progressing  but  a  few  yards  to  the  minute, 
the  crew  sit  in  the  lighters  waiting,  with  knives  in  their 
hands,  to  cut  them  adrift  should  either  the  steamer  or  one 
of  the  lighters  themselves  strike  a  "  snag  "  and  commence 
to  founder ;  for  if  any  one  of  the  three  vessels  were  to  fill 
with  water  she  must  inevitably  drag  the  others  down  with 
her.  The  striking  of  a  snag  is  no  uncommon  occurrence, 
but  the  boats  are  stoutly  built,  and,  while  advancing  slowly 
against  the  stream,  collisions  with  a  sunken  tree  are  less 
dangerous  than  in  descending  the  river,  when  they  are 
swept  onward  at  a  great  pace  by  the  current.  Any  one 
who  allows  himself  to  think  of  unpleasant  subjects  will 
find  plenty  of  food  for  reflection  during  a  six  days'  voyage 
from  Kole  to  Lodja.  If  he  looks  at  the  course  of  the 
river  he  can  scarcely  fail  to  begin  to  calculate  his  chances 
of  coming  out  of  it  alive  if  the  steamer  should  chance  to 
strike  the  next  snag  rather  more  forcibly  than  the  last 
one ;  he  will  soon  satisfy  himself  that  these  chances  are 
not  worth  much  consideration,  and  will,  perhaps,  turn  his 
attention  to  the  native  crew.  He  will  find  the  men  busily 
occupied  in  catching  tsetse-flies  upon  one  another's  backs — 
for  never  have  I  seen  so  many  of  these  pests  as  upon  the 


THE   PEOPLES   OF   THE   GREAT    FOREST     155 

Lukenye — and  his  thoughts  will  turn  to  sleeping  sickness. 
Having  pondered  sufficiently  upon  the  curse  of  the  Dark 
Continent  he  may  turn  his  attention  to  the  machinery,  but 
a  glance  at  the  pressure  gauge  will  only  serve  to  remind 
him  that  a  boiler  explosion  is  another  of  the  little  acci- 
dents which  appear  likely  to  occur  at  any  moment,  for 
enormous  pressures  have  to  be  maintained  in  order  to  make 
any  headway  against  the  stream.  On  the  whole,  it  is 
better  for  one's  peace  of  mind  to  take  one's  gun  and  keep 
a  sharp  look-out  for  duck,  or  for  some  strange  monkey 
which  swarm  in  the  forests  on  the  shores,  until  a  bump 
reminds  one  of  the  snags,  the  prick  of  a  tsetse  fly  re- 
calls the  sleeping  sickness,  or  some  weird  noise  in  the 
machinery  produces  an  outburst  of  English  swearing  from 
the  mechanic  and  causes  one  to  think  once  again  of  the 
boiler.  The  tug  was  so  small  that  we  had  to  sit  on  one 
little  bench  in  front  of  the  engines  all  day  long,  unable  to 
move  a  step,  there  being  only  just  sufficient  room  to  enable 
us  to  occasionally  stand  up  to  stretch  our  limbs  ;  imme- 
diately in  front  of  us  was  the  helmsman,  upon  whose  back 
we  amused  ourselves  by  killing  tsetses  with  a  little  whisk 
made  of  thin  strips  of  palm  leaf,  to  his  great  satisfaction, 
for  whether  or  not  the  natives  connect  the  fly  with  the 
sleeping  sickness,  they  have  a  great  horror  of  the  insect. 
Certainly  upon  the  Lukenye  one  sees  forest  scenery  at  its 
best.  The  swiftly  rushing  river  winding  in  and  out  be- 
tween banks  clothed  with  impenetrable  forest,  the  vegeta- 
tion often  rising  in  solid  walls  from  the  water's  edge  ;  the 
varying  greens  of  the  foliage,  broken  here  and  there  by 
patches   of  white   or   red   of  some   flowering    shrub  ;    the 


156      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE  KASAI 

graceful  creeper  palms,  all  combine  to  make  up  a  picture 
very  pleasing  to  the  eye,  but  conveying,  I  think,  an  im- 
pression of  the  forest  which  closer  acquaintance,  in  the 
form  of  marching  through  the  woods,  very  soon  dispels. 
Owing  to  the  strength  of  the  stream  we  saw  very  few 
canoes  upon  the  Lukenye,  but  about  midway  between 
Kole  and  Lodja  we  came  across  some  very  primitive  craft. 
These  consisted  solely  of  three  parallel  logs  lashed  together 
at  the  ends  with  vines,  which  were  paddled  in  a  sitting 
position  by  almost  naked  men.  Of  course  the  water  swept 
freely  all  over  these  little  rafts.  At  night  we  camped 
upon  the  shores,  which  were  usually  low  lying  and  swampy, 
for  the  dry  season  (or  what  passes  for  a  dry  season  in 
the  forest)  was  now  in  full  swing,  and  the  river  had 
receded  considerably,  leaving  muddy  spaces  beneath  the 
trees  where  stagnant  water  had  been  a  few  months  before. 
It  was  in  such  spots  as  this  that  we  had  to  pitch  our  tents, 
so  it  may  well  be  imagined  that  the  mosquitos,  the  damp, 
and  the  evil  smells  of  the  woods  were  not  conducive  to  late 
hours ;  we  used  to  turn  in  as  soon  as  we  had  partaken  of  a 
hastily  prepared  supper.  Once  or  twice  we  encamped  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  villages  which  lay  a  little  way  inland,  and 
here  the  natives,  primitive  Batetela  of  the  forest,  used  to  come 
and  sell  us  eggs,  poultry,  and  plantains,  receiving  us  in  a 
very  different  manner  from  the  inhospitable  Bankutu. 

Upon  the  sixth  day  after  leaving  Kole  we  arrived 
at  the  Government  station  at  Lodja.  We  found  there 
a  civilian  as  chef  de  poste^  and  a  European  N.C.O.  in 
command  of  the  forty  or  fifty  soldiers  that  constituted 
the   garrison  of  the   place.     The   first   thing   we  did   was 


THE   PEOPLES   OF   THE   GREAT   FOREST      157 

to  inquire  of  the  chef  de  poste  if  carriers  were  easily  ob- 
tainable in  the  neighbourhood,  for  we  had  dismissed 
those  who  had  brought  our  loads  from  Bena  Dibele 
immediately  upon  arriving  at  Kole,  and  we  learned  that 
among  the  more  civilised  Batetela,  who  occupy  the  country 
to  the  north  of  Lodja,  porters  were  always  to  be  found  ; 
so  we  sent  off  a  small  caravan  to  the  Kasai  Company's  post 
of  Idanga,  on  the  Sankuru,  to  purchase  a  fresh  supply  of 
trade  goods,  for  the  articles  we  had  bought  among  the 
Bankutu  had  cost  us  much  more  than  we  had  expected, 
and  our  store  of  goods  was  already  at  a  very  low  ebb. 
Meantime  we  pitched  our  tents  at  Lodja  and  awaited  the 
return  of  these  porters.  Lodja  lies  on  the  right  bank  of 
the  Lukenye  in  a  small  clearing  in  the  forest,  and  it  is,  I 
think,  a  less  unhealthy  post  than  Kole,  for  it  is  scarcely 
so  damp,  and  the  mists  at  night  are  neither  so  dense  nor 
so  slow  in  rising  in  the  mornings.  It  was  now  the  so-called 
dry  season,  but  in  the  forest  at  such  a  short  distance  from 
the  equator — a  little  more  than  three  degrees  to  the  south 
of  the  line — rain  falls  pretty  frequently,  even  during  the 
driest  months,  and  the  country  never  presents  the  parched 
appearance  of  the  southern  plains  during  the  summer.  We 
spent  our  time  at  Lodja  in  studying  the  natives  that  lived 
quite  near  to  the  station  on  the  southern  side  of  the  river, 
and  in  collecting  specimens  of  the  numerous  small  and 
beautifully  coloured  birds  that  existed  in  great  numbers 
in  the  plantation  of  Lodja.  We  also  assisted  in  the 
organisation  of  some  sports,  wherewith  to  celebrate  the 
anniversary  of  the  foundation  of  the  Independent  State  of 
the  Congo.     The  State  was  still  in  existence  so  far  as  we 


158     LAND   AND    PEOPLES   OF   THE    KASAI 

in  the  forest  could  know,  but  we  knew  that  the  annexa- 
tion by  Belgium  was  being  considered  in  Europe.  These 
sports  afforded  us  quite  a  lot  of  amusement,  and  for  a 
day  diverted  our  thoughts  from  the  sterner  and  more 
unpleasant  side  of  life,  of  which  we  had  seen  quite  sufficient 
at  Kole.  The  two  white  officials  and  ourselves  turned 
over  our  personal  property  and  selected  such  articles  of 
clothing,  &c.,  as  we  could  spare  to  be  offered  as  prizes 
for  the  various  competitions,  and  in  this  we  got  a  certain 
amount  of  amusement  out  of  our  hosts.  The  civilian 
chef  de  poste  called  us  secretly  aside  and  extolled  the  virtues 
of  his  military  colleague,  than  whom,  he  declared,  a  nicer 
companion  could  not  be  desired,  but  at  the  same  time  he 
was,  perhaps,  a  little  inclined  to  show  undue  partiality 
to  his  soldiers  whenever  there  was  anything  to  be  given 
away ;  it  had  been  decided  to  keep  the  events  in  the 
sports  for  the  soldiers  and  the  workmen  quite  distinct, 
and  would  we,  therefore,  in  offering  our  prizes  remember 
that  the  workmen  were  always  busy,  whereas  the  soldiers 
at  Lodja  had  a  very  easy  life,  and  would  we  be  sure  to 
allot  the  greater  share  of  our  prizes  to  the  events  restricted 
to  non-combatants.  A  few  minutes  later  the  military 
officer  found  an  opportunity  of  having  a  private  talk  to 
us.  No  one,  he  assured  us,  could  wish  to  serve  in  the 
same  place  with  a  more  delightful  companion  than  the 
chef  de  poste^  but  he  had  one  little  failing — he  could  never 
realise  how  much  more  important  were  the  soldiers,  upon 
whose  presence  the  safety  of  the  station  depended,  than 
the  mere  workmen  who  cut  up  and  packed  rubber  for 
despatch   to   the  river ;    would   we,    therefore,    be   sure   to 


THE   PEOPLES   OF   THE   GREAT   FOREST      159 

insist  that  the  major  portion  of  our  prizes  should  be  given 
for  events  open  only  to  the  soldiers.  Needless  to  say,  we 
divided  our  goods  equally  between  the  two  sections  of  the 
community,  and  the  games  passed  off  without  any  friction 
whatever.  The  sports  were  an  unqualified  success  ;  every 
one  in  the  place,  white  man  and  black,  soldier  and  civilian, 
all  worked  their  hardest  to  make  things  go.  We  erected 
a  greasy  pole,  and  measured  off  a  course  for  foot  races  ; 
the  shooting  range  was  cleared  of  grass  to  allow  a  good 
view  of  the  butts,  and  new  targets  were  improvised. 

A  start  was  made  after  the  midday  meal,  the  natives 
having  devoted  the  morning  to  their  ablutions  and  to 
attiring  themselves  in  all  the  finery  in  the  way  of  coloured 
European  cottons  that  they  could  lay  their  hands  on. 
Firstly,  we  all  marched  behind  the  bugler  to  the  range,  where 
the  soldiers  shot  for  prizes  with  their  Albinis,  and  we 
attempted  to  give  an  exhibition  of  markmanship  with  our 
Mannlichers  and  express  rifle  ;  after  this  we  returned  to  the 
station  (still  marching  behind  the  bugler),  and  the  sports 
began.  The  greasy  pole  competition  resulted  in  a  victory 
for  the  village  blacksmith,  whose  repeated  attempts  to  scale 
the  pole  at  length  wore  off  most  of  the  palm  oil  with  which 
it  had  been  greased,  and  rendered  the  ascent  less  difficult 
than  it  had  been  at  first,  when  frequent  failures  had  in- 
duced the  other  competitors  to  abandon  the  task.  Foot 
races  were  of  three  kinds,  namely,  ordinary  200  yard 
sprints,  "  pig-a-back  "  races,  and  a  race  for  teams  of  three 
natives  who  ran  side  by  side,  the  middle  man  having  each  of 
his  legs  tied  to  a  leg  of  his  companions.  These  events 
produced  a  lot  of  merriment  among  the  spectators,  for  falls 


i6o     LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

were  numerous  and  disputes  arose  between  members  of  the 
various  teams  when  failure  to  "  keep  step "  carried  the 
middle  man  off  his  feet,  but  the  distribution  of  prizes  for 
the  races  caused  some  little  heart-burning  as  some  of  the 
losers  claimed  a  reward  for  having,  as  they  said,  run  just  as 
far  as  the  winners.  In  addition  to  these  events,  various 
foolish  games  were  indulged  in,  such  as  blindfolded  men 
endeavouring  to  feed  each  other  with  spoonsful  of  cassava 
porridge,  all  of  which  caused  the  greatest  delight  to  the 
crowd,  some  of  the  spectators  rolling  upon  the  ground  in 
paroxysms  of  mirth,  while  I  must  say  that  we,  the  white 
men  of  the  party,  enjoyed  ourselves  as  thoroughly  as 
children  at  a  school  treat.  Little  things  please  little  minds, 
and  one's  mind  becomes  very  small  in  the  forest. 

Before  describing  our  journey  northwards  in  the  great 
forest,  and  the  peoples  we  met  with  there,  I  had  better  give 
my  reader  a  general  idea  of  the  natives  whom  we  met.  One 
of  the  objects  of  our  tour  from  Lodja  was  to  see  the  Akela 
people,  of  whose  existence  we  had  heard  at  Bena  Dibele,  and 
concerning  whose  life  and  origin  nothing  was  known  in 
Europe,  but  before  reaching  the  country  of  the  Akela  we 
learned  that  we  should  have  to  pass  through  the  villages  of 
several  other  peoples.  All  these  peoples  are  Batetela, 
related  more  or  less  closely  to  the  Batetela  whom  we  had 
visited  at  Mokunji.  These  latter,  as  I  have  shown  in  an 
earlier  chapter,  have  already  begun  to  display  marked 
changes  in  their  customs,  &c.,  owing  to  the  influence  of  the 
"  civilisation  "  which  first  the  Arab  and  then  the  white  man 
have  introduced  into  Central  Africa,  but  the  Batetela  of  the 
forest  are  still  for  the  most  part  in  a  very  primitive  state  of 


THE    PEOPLES   OF   THE   GREAT   FOREST      i6i 

culture.  But,  at  the  same  time,  changes  are  coming  over 
them,  rapidly  spreading  from  the  east,  and  therefore  one 
finds  villages  of  the  more  advanced  type,  planned  after  the 
manner  of  an  Arab  or  a  European  settlement,  in  the  heart 
of  the  forest  surrounded  by  the  primitive  hamlets  of  those 
sections  of  the  Batetela  who  have  not  yet  learned  to  imitate 
foreign  ideas  of  house  construction  and  dress.  After  the 
Arab  wars  several  chiefs  migrated  into  the  forest  from 
districts  as  far  off  as  the  Lomami  River,  and  these  more 
civilised  people  may  now  be  found  dwelling  among  their  less 
progressive  kinsmen,  upon  whom  they  are  beginning  to 
exercise  an  influence  which  will  soon  break  down  the  con- 
servative spirit  in  which  most  negroes  view  the  introduction 
of  new  ideas  and  ways.  Of  course,  each  of  the  sub-tribes 
through  whose  territory  we  passed  possesses  a  name ;  but 
what  I  wish  to  point  out  is  that  whether  they  call  themselves 
Olemba,  Vungi,  Okale,  or  Lohinde  Jofu  ;  whether  they  are 
primitive  or  already  influenced  by  foreigners,  all  the  people 
I  am  about  to  describe  are  in  reality  members  of  the  great 
Batetela  tribe.  The  Akela  belong  to  a  difl^erent  part  of  the 
Congo  altogether,  and  I  shall  give  a  brief  outline  of  their 
history  when  I  describe  our  wanderings  in  their  country. 
The  Batetela  occupying  the  left  bank  of  the  Lukenye  River 
opposite  to  the  post  of  Lodja  are  called  the  Olemba.  They, 
owing  to  the  proximity  of  the  white  man's  settlement,  are 
fast  becoming  more  like  the  people  of  Mokunji  than  the  simple 
folk  of  the  forest,  but  in  many  respects  they  are  still  very  primi- 
tive. We  paid  several  visits  to  their  principal  village,  Oyumba, 
and  received  calls  from  their  real  chief,  not  the  elder  who, 
as  in  the  other  places  I  have  mentioned,  poses  as  chief  before 


1 62      LAND   AND    PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

the  officials.  Oyumba  lies  in  a  large  natural  clearing  of  the 
forest,  and  is  a  neat,  prosperous-looking  village  surrounded 
by  extensive  cultivation  and  by  groves  of  plantains,  which 
are  very  numerous  in  all  the  villages  of  the  forest  of  Batetela. 
During  one  of  our  visits  to  the  place  v^e  saw  a  woman  whose 
cheeks  were  covered  with  soot  and  a  man  who  had  applied 
soot  freely  to  his  stomach  ;  this  we  discovered  was  a  sign  of 
mourning.  Many  negro  peoples  make  such  outward  display 
of  their  sorrow  at  the  death  of  a  relative.  We  also  noticed 
the  curious  habit  of  bumping  noses  when  an  Olemba  meets 
an  acquaintance  upon  the  road.  From  the  chief  we  learned 
a  good  deal  about  the  customs  of  the  people,  some  of  which 
are  rather  curious.  For  example,  they  have  a  way  of 
dealing  with  murderers  which  should  certainly  act  as  a 
deterrent  to  homicide  :  a  murderer  is  compelled  to  publicly 
hang  himself  from  a  tree  !  I  do  not  quite  know  what  is 
done  to  him  if  he  declines  to  voluntarily  carry  out  the 
sentence  passed  upon  him,  but  I  should  say  his  wisest 
course  would  certainly  be  to  hang  himself  at  once  when  told 
to  do  so  and  not  to  let  the  crowd  save  him  the  trouble  by 
despatching  him  in  any  other  way.  The  purchase  of  brides, 
too,  is  remarkable.  The  usual  price  paid  by  the  bridegroom 
to  the  lady's  father  is  about  eight  copper  crosses  (a  currency 
imported  from  Katanga),  thirty-five  chickens,  and  four  dogs. 
But  there  is  no  dehcacy  whatever  displayed  in  arranging  the 
sum  by  the  young  man  and  the  parent  of  his  charmer.  The 
former  often  begins  by  eloping  with  the  girl,  after  which  the 
price  to  be  paid  is  settled  at  a  meeting  or  series  of  meetings 
with  her  father.  The  old  man  points  out  the  charms  of  his 
daughter,  and  the  advantages  which  the  younger  man  would 


OUK    LOADS    IN    A    KOKKST    VU.LAC.E. 


Thk  ]jogs  with  which  the  Olemba  m'Y  their  wives. 


THE   PEOPLES   OF   THE   GREAT   FOREST      163 

derive  from  an  alliance  with  so  distinguished  a  family  as  his 
own,  and  demands  an  exorbitant  sum  for  the  hand  of  his 
daughter.       The    bridegroom    then,    in    a    most    ungallant 
manner,  proceeds  to  call  attention  to  all  the  demerits  of  his 
loved  one  and  to  offer  as  niggardly  a  price  as  possible.      As 
the  discussion  proceeds,  however,  the  offer  is  increased  cross 
by  cross,  fowl  by  fowl,  and  dog  by  dog,  until  at  last  about 
the  amount  mentioned  has  been  reached,  when  the  deal  is 
concluded.     During  our  subsequent  journey  in  the  forest  we 
noticed  that  some  of  our  Olemba  porters  were  always  trying 
to  buy  dogs  in  the  villages  we  passed  through,  and  a  few  of 
them   came  back  to  Lodja  leading  two  or  three  of  these 
animals  by   strings ;    these   gentlemen  were    contemplating 
matrimony.       We    became    acquainted   with    the    principal 
fetish-man  of  Oyumba,  and  we  saw  him  perform  a  conjuring 
trick,  which  would  be  quite  sufficient  to  endow  him  with 
supernatural   powers  in   the   simple    minds    of   his  fellow- 
countrymen.     He  called  upon  us  at  Lodja  one  day  just  as  I 
was  about  to  start  upon  a  ramble  in  the  woods  with  my  gun. 
Torday  inquired  of  the  wizard  if  he  could  supply  me  with 
some  charm  or  fetish  which  would  ensure  me  success  in  my 
search  for  game.     The  man  thereupon,  without  any  pre- 
liminary preparations  whatsoever,  held  his  hand  below  his 
nose  and,  sneezing,  discharged  into  it  from  his  nostril  a  very 
large  seed  ;  so  large  that  it  could  not  possibly  have  ever 
been  got  into  his  nose,  and  yet  I  am  prepared  to  swear  that 
I   saw   it   come   out  of  his   nostril.     The  performance  re- 
minded me  of  the  Egyptian  Hall,  and  doubtless  is  as  capable 
of  explanation  as  the  tricks  of  Messrs.  Maskelyne  and  Devant. 
But  tricks  of  this  sort  go  a  very  long  way  towards  making  a 


164     LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

fetish-man  a  power  in  the  village,  a  power  which  can  easily 
cause  a  whole  tribe  to  rise  against  the  white  man.  Having 
rolled  the  seed  up  in  the  leaf  of  some  particular  shrub,  which 
he  obtained  in  the  forest  close  at  hand,  the  wizard  handed 
me  the  "  medicine,"  informing  me  that  I  should  now  be 
sure  of  obtaining  sport.  I  will  not  spoil  the  story  by  giving 
any  account  whatever  of  the  luck  that  attended  me  during 
my  evening  ramble ;  perhaps  lack  of  faith  on  my  part  may 
have  impaired  the  potence  of  the  charm. 
i  As  soon  as  our  supply  of  trade  goods  arrived  from 
Idanga  the  chef  de  paste  engaged  about  fifty  carriers  for 
us,  and  we  started  upon  our  tour  in  the  north.  The  first 
day's  march  led  us  through  numerous  hamlets  which  had 
sprung  up  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Government  post, 
probably  with  the  object  of  finding  a  good  market  for  their 
produce,  to  the  site  of  the  old  station  of  Lodja  ;  for  like 
Kole,  Lodja  had  only  recently  been  moved  to  the  banks 
of  the  Lukenye  from  a  more  open  yet  less  accessible  situa- 
tion a  few  hours'  march  inland.  We  passed  by  the  important 
"  civilised  "  Batetela  village  which  is  under  the  chieftain- 
ship of  a  small  boy,  some  twelve  years  of  age,  by  name 
Boo.  This  precocious  youth  already  possessed  five  wives, 
most  of  them  old  enough  to  be  his  mother,  and  was  an 
extremely  civilised  person  as  regards  his  dress.  If  there 
were  in  the  district  any  white  man  with  sufficient  time  on 
his  hands  to  undertake  the  education  of  this  young  chief, 
I  think  that  he  could  easily  be  trained  to  become  a  really 
useful  and  progressive  leader  of  a  people  whose  natural 
inclination  to  accept  European  ideas  makes  them  one  of  the 
most  promising  tribes  with  whom  we  came  in  contact ;  but 


THE   PEOPLES   OF   THE   GREAT   FOREST      165 

unfortunately  the  training  of  young  chiefs  had  not,  at  the/- 
time  of  our  visit  to  the  forest,  received  much,  if  any, 
attention  on  the  part  of  the  Government.  Many  of  the 
primitive  peoples  of  the  Congo  may  not  yet  be  ready  to 
benefit  fully  by  the  advice  which  a  tactful  white  "  resident" 
would  be  able  to  give  to  their  chiefs ;  but  the  more  civilised 
portions  of  the  Batetela  tribe  certainly  are  ready,  and  would, 
I  am  convinced,  amply  repay,  by  developing  their  country, 
the  cost  of  maintaining  white  residents  in  their  midst 
whose  mission  would  be  the  introduction  of  European 
methods  of  agriculture  and  crafts.  We  did  not  spend  a 
night  with  Boo,  but  marched  on  through  an  extensive 
patch  of  grass  land,  with  the  forest  forming  the  horizon 
on  either  hand,  to  the  village  of  Lumbuli,  the  site  of  the 
former  Government  station  of  Lodja.  Upon  arriving  at 
the  village  we  were  met  by  Lumbuli's  drummers  and  a 
vast  crowd  of  natives  and  were  conducted  to  the  chief's 
house,  and  then  in  and  out  through  the  neat,  tidy  streets 
between  crowds  of  natives  who  had  assembled  to  look  at 
us.  Suddenly  it  occurred  to  us  we  were  being  shown  off 
by  the  headman  of  our  caravan,  so  we  ordered  this  worthy 
to  lead  us  at  once  to  the  old  Government  buildings  near 
which  we  were  to  camp  ;  we  found  that  they  were  situated 
close  to  the  point  at  which  we  had  entered  the  village. 
It  is  not  by  any  means  pleasing  to  be  walked  round  and 
round  a  large  village  like  a  circus  procession  at  the  con- 
clusion of  a  hard  day's  march  close  to  the  Equator,  and 
we  were  considerably  annoyed  with  our  headman  for  thus 
dragging  our  weary  steps  a  mile  or  two  further  than 
necessary ;  but  we  preferred   being  regarded  as   a   popular 


1 66      LAND    AND    PEOPLES    OF   THE    KASAI 

side-show  than  as  a  nuisance  (as  among  the  Bankutu),  so 
our  wrath  was  not  very  terrible. 

Next  day  we  marched  on,  still  through  a  strip  of  open 
country  surrounded  by  forest,  to  the  village  of  an  important 
chief  named  Kandolo.  On  the  way  we  passed  through 
several  villagei  inhabited  by  civilised  Batetela,  at  each  of 
which  people  hurried  out  to  meet  us  in  the  hope  of  being 
able  to  trade,  offering  us  all  manner  of  commodities,  from 
food-stuffs  to  parrots,  in  exchange  for  our  goods.  We 
could  not  purchase  much  while  on  the  march,  as  of  course 
our  supply  of  cloth,  &c.  was  packed  up  in  bales  and  being 
carried  by  the  porters,  but  we  were  able  to  select  a  few 
curios  for  the  Museum,  which  were  kept  for  us  by  their 
owners  until  we  passed  by  again  on  our  return  journey. 
Kandolo's  village  forms  a  striking  example  of  the  prosperity 
which  the  more  civilised  Batetela  are  introducing  into  the 
forest.  One  walks  for  two  or  three  miles  through  planta- 
tions of  millet  and  cassava  before  arriving  at  the  place  itself, 
and  as  one  draws  near  to  the  huts  one  enters  a  regular 
forest  of  plantains  and  bananas.  Then  one  proceeds  along 
a  street  fully  twenty  yards  wide,  bordered  on  either  hand 
by  neat  plaster  houses  between  which  plantain  trees  cast 
an  agreeable  shade  in  the  little  yards  or  gardens  with  which 
every  house  is  provided.  The  street  is  perfectly  straight, 
and  not  one  ruined  nor  untidy  hut  mars  the  neatness  of  its 
appearance.  In  the  centre  of  the  village  stands  the  residence 
of  Kandolo,  a  long  plaster  house  situated  at  one  side  of 
an  open  space  where  dances  and  other  ceremonial  pro- 
ceedings take  place ;  from  this  centre  other  streets,  as 
wide   and    neat   as   that   by  which   one   enters   the  village, 


THE   PEOPLES   OF   THE   GREAT   FOREST      167 

radiate  through  the  groves  of  plantains.  Upon  nearing  the 
village  we  were  met  by  Kandolo's  drummers,  who  played 
us  up  the  street  to  the  spot  opposite  to  his  residence  where 
the  chief  awaited  our  arrival.  Kandolo  has  been  a  soldier, 
and  as  soon  as  we  appeared  in  sight  he  stood  stiffly  at 
attention  by  the  wayside  attired  in  an  old  English  infantry 
tunic,  a  fine,  tall,  commanding  figure.  When  we  had  reached 
him  he  laid  aside  the  soldier  and  became  the  chief,  stepping 
up  to  us  and  shaking  hands  before  leading  us  to  the  house 
which  he  keeps  for  any  official  who  may  pass  by.  While 
we  were  resting  in  this  clean  and  tidy  bungalow,  while  our 
tents  were  being  pitched  outside,  Kandolo  learned  the 
reason  of  our  coming  and  proceeded  to  make  us  welcome. 
Firstly,  he  inquired  if  we  wanted  chickens,  and  if  so  how 
many.  In  a  few  moments  the  exact  number  we  named 
was  presented  to  us.  This  was  a  far  more  practical  way 
of  receiving  an  honoured  guest  than  we  had  yet  come 
across  in  our  wanderings.  As  a  rule  a  chief  who  means 
to  receive  you  well  gives  you  a  far  larger  present  of 
chickens  than  you  require,  in  the  hope,  of  course,  of 
obtaining  a  correspondingly  large  gift  of  trade  goods, 
Kandolo,  however,  had  seen  enough  of  the  white  man  when 
on  the  march  to  know  that  too  many  chickens  are  an 
encumbrance,  and  he  therefore  very  wisely  asked  us  to 
say  exactly  what  we  wanted.  We  named  one  or  two  things 
such  as  palm-oil  and  native  tobacco,  all  of  which  were  at 
once  forthcoming.  The  chief  then  inquired  what  he  could 
do  for  us,  and  we  replied  that,  as  we  intended  to  visit  him 
after  our  journey  to  the  Akela  country,  we  would  not 
ask  him  for  any  information  at  the  moment  with  regard 


1 68      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE    KASAI 

to  his  people,  but  we  said  that  we  should  be  glad  if  he 
could  let  one  of  his  men  accompany  us  to  the  plantations, 
where  we  could  try  to  obtain  a  shot  at  guinea-fowl. 
Kandolo  issued  an  order,  quite  after  the  manner  of  a 
sergeant  drilling  recruits,  and  half-a-dozen  men  started 
out  at  once  to  look  for  birds.  In  an  hour  one  of  them 
returned  and  led  us  straight  to  a  field  where  we  found  and 
shot  a  few  for  our  supper,  breakfast,  and  supper  on  the 
morrow.  Kandolo  was  evidently  master  in  his  own  village, 
and  was  just  as  friendly  as  he  could  possibly  be.  He 
presented  our  carriers  with  a  more  than  liberal  supply  of 
food,  and  he  instructed  his  people  to  bring  for  our  in- 
spection any  objects  they  might  desire  to  sell.  The  result 
was  that  we  did  a  roaring  trade  in  curios.  The  currency 
most  in  demand  was  leather  belts,  of  which  we  fortunately 
had  received  a  good  supply  from  Idanga,  but  among  the 
civilised  Batetela  almost  anything  emanating  from  Europe 
is  greedily  accepted  as  money.  The  idea  of  these  people 
appears  to  be  to  sell  their  produce  no  matter  at  what  price 
nor  for  what  commodity,  but  to  sell.  We  never  met  people 
so  anxious  to  trade  in  the  whole  course  of  our  journey. 
They  are  pre-eminently  an  agricultural  people,  and  their 
fields,  situated  in  the  open  land  in  the  forest,  are  extremely 
fertile ;  they  are  ready  and  eager  to  plant  anything  of 
value  that  will  grow.  It  appears,  therefore,  that  much, 
very  much,  could  be  done  to  develop  the  resources  of  the 
country  if  a  European  were  appointed  to  give  these  Batetela 
a  little  practical  instruction  in  farming  and  to  introduce 
new  and  useful  crops  for  them  to  grow.  I  am  sure  that 
the  creation  of  a   post  of  instructor  in  agriculture  would 


THE   PEOPLES   OF   THE   GREAT   FOREST      169 

be  immediately  followed  by  most  striking  results  in  the 
district  just  north  of  Lodja.  Even  without  any  direct 
encouragement  from  the  Government  the  people  have  intro- 
duced many  new  crops,  often  obtaining  the  seeds  from  the 
garden  of  some  white  official,  and  everything  planted  seems 
to  grow  well  in  the  rich  soil  of  their  country.  In  many 
other  ways  the  natives  of  this  district  display  possibilities 
which  ought  to  be  developed  ;  for  example,  Kandolo  em- 
ploys a  carpenter  who  turns  out  quite  useful  work  with  the 
limited  number  of  European  tools  at  his  disposal. 

In  addition  to  being  prepared  to  accept  the  innova- 
tions introduced  by  the  European,  the  Batetela  evidently 
likes  the  white  man  himself;  that  is  evident  from  their 
cheery,  genial  manner  and  from  the  eagerness  with  which 
they  crowd  round  to  watch  or  take  part  in  anything  that 
he  may  be  doing.  Any  native  will  always  be  only  too 
pleased  to  accompany  the  traveller  when  he  takes  a  stroll 
with  his  gun,  whereas  among  some  peoples  it  is  quite 
difficult  to  obtain  a  companion  for  an  evening's  shooting. 
It  always  appeared  to  me  that  when  a  crowd  of  Batetela 
are  watching  a  white  man  doing  anything,  they  are  look- 
ing on  with  a  view  to  learning  something  which  may  be 
of  use  to  themselves,  and  not  merely  to  gratify  an 
idle  curiosity  as  do  many  of  the  more  primitive  tribes. 
Kandolo  himself  is  somewhat  of  a  dandy  with  regard  to 
his  dress.  He  always  wears  European  apparel  to  some 
extent ;  and  upon  the  occasion  of  our  visit  to  him  he 
changed  his  garments  no  less  than  eight  times  in  one 
day !  Up  to  Kandolo's  village  our  way  had  lain  along 
the  route  usually  followed  by  caravans  going  to  and  from 


lyo     LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

the  Government  station  of  Lomela  from  the  Lukenye 
River,  and  the  country  through  which  we  had  passed 
had  consisted  of  little  plains  bordered  by  the  forest. 
These  plains  may  very  possibly  have  originally  been 
artificial  clearings  in  the  woodland  made  by  the  natives 
for  their  crops,  for  the  Batetela  cultivate  so  extensively 
that  their  clearings,  if  the  forest  should  not  encroach 
upon  them,  would  in  a  very  short  time  assume  the  di- 
mensions of  a  plain ;  and  it  appears  quite  possible  that 
the  forest  would  not  readily  spring  up  again  upon  a 
soil  from  which  much  of  the  goodness  has  been  removed 
by  the  cultivation  of  cassava,  a  crop  which  so  impoverishes 
the  ground  that  it  cannot  be  grown  in  the  same  field  for 
two  crops  in  succession.  After  Kandolo's  village  we 
branched  off  the  main  track,  taking  a  road  to  the  west 
of  that  used  by  caravans,  and  we  entered  once  more  a 
country  resembling  in  all  respects,  except  the  character 
of  its  inhabitants,  the  dense  forest  around  Kole.  March- 
ing in  the  forest  is,  in  my  opinion,  far  more  fatiguing 
than  in  the  plains.  It  is  true  that  one  is  more  or  less 
sheltered  from  the  scorching  rays  of  the  equatorial  sun 
(although  it  would  be  courting  sunstroke  to  dispense  with 
adequate  head-gear  even  in  the  densest  parts  of  the  wood- 
lands), but  one  is  constantly  forced  to  break  the  evenness 
of  one's  stride  in  order  to  step  over  roots  or  fallen  trees, 
one  has  frequently  to  clamber  over  logs  laid  down  in 
some  swampy  spot  to  form  a  sort  of  bridge,  and  often  one 
is  obliged  to  run  as  hard  as  one  can  lay  one's  legs  to  the 
ground  to  avoid  a  colony  of  driver  ants,  which  swarm 
over  one's  legs  in  a  moment  and  take   hold  so  firmly  of 


THE   PEOPLES   OF   THE   GREAT   FOREST      171 

the  skin  that  their  heads  are  often  left  embedded  in  it 
when  one  endeavours  to  pull  them  off.  In  addition  to 
this  there  is  an  oppressive  sensation  caused  by  the  lack 
of  air,  for  except  during  a  tornado  no  breeze  penetrates 
the  forest.  After  even  a  very  brief  sojourn  in  this  dis- 
trict one  becomes  so  run  down  by  frequent  fevers  that 
marching  under  the  most  pleasant  conditions  would  be 
trying,  and  one  wearily  drags  on  mile  after  mile  with 
leaden  feet  and  aching  head,  longing  for  a  breath  of  the 
wind  that  sweeps  the  plains. 

The  monotony  of  forest  marching  is  depressing  in  the 
extreme.  One  cannot  see  more  than  a  few  feet  into 
the  woods  on  either  hand  of  the  narrow  track,  and  the 
frequent  bends  and  turns  in  the  way  limit  one's  view  to 
a  few  yards  ahead.  One  plods  on  hour  after  hour,  day 
after  day,  without  coming  across  any  real  break  in  the 
monotonous  gloom  of  one's  surroundings.  Villages  are 
numerous,  but,  like  those  of  the  Bankutu,  they  are 
situated  in  clearings  so  small  as  to  be  little  else  than 
a  mere  widening  of  the  track,  and  plantations  are  rarely 
to  be  seen  by  the  wayside.  We  marched  for  five  days 
without  coming  to  any  break  in  the  woods  other  than 
those  afforded  by  the  villages.  One  rises  in  the  morning, 
after  a  long  night's  repose,  with  a  swimming  head  and 
a  feeling  of  lassitude  which,  if  it  passes  off  at  all,  only 
leaves  one  when  the  day  is  well  advanced.  One  is  always 
tired  in  the  forest.  When  one  commences  the  day's 
march  the  bushes  are  so  wet  that  one  becomes  soaked 
to  the  skin  as  one  brushes  them  aside  where  they  over- 
hang the  track  ;  later  in  the  day  one's  clothes  dry  on  one. 


172      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

only  to  become  wringing  with  moisture  again  when  the 
grey  mist  descends  in  the  evening,  and  the  huts  and 
people  loom  gaunt  and  ghostlike  in  the  fog.  Most 
Europeans  in  the  Kasai  district  are  carried  in  hammocks 
when  on  the  march,  and  accordingly  prefer  to  travel  in 
the  shade  of  the  forest ;  but  we  invariably  walked  all  the 
way  during  our  journey,  believing  that  exercise  is  a 
necessity  to  health,  and  both  of  us  are  convinced  that 
a  march  in  the  forest  is  more  fatiguing  than  a  stage  of 
similar  length  in  the  plains  even  under  the  hottest  sun. 
Of  course  we  always  carried  with  us  a  hammock  for  use 
in  an  emergency,  but  only  on  one  or  two  occasions  were 
we  carried  in  it,  and  then  merely  because  fever  or  a 
damaged  foot  prevented  us  from  walking.  The  forest, 
despite  its  terrible  climate  and  damp  oppressive  heat, 
can  be  very  attractive  so  long  as  one  does  not  spend 
sufficient  time  in  it  to  become  depressed  by  its  monotony. 
Parts  of  it  are  extremely  beautiful.  The  little  swamps 
and  pools  around  the  courses  of  the  brooks  are  often 
really  lovely  to  look  upon,  for  the  sun  shines  down  upon 
the  still  waters  covered  with  light  green  weeds  and  white 
lilies,  forming  a  brilliant  contrast  to  the  gloom  of  the 
surrounding  woods.  There  is  much  to  attract  one's  notice 
even  in  the  restricted  area  visible  from  the  road — troops 
of  monkeys  of  many  varieties  crash  through  the  tree-tops 
at  the  approach  of  the  caravan ;  strange  and  beautiful 
birds  flit  among  the  branches,  giving  one  but  a  glimpse 
of  their  brilliant  plumage  as  they  go  ;  butterflies  of  gor- 
geous colour  are  to  be  seen  in  countless  numbers.  All 
these  are  interesting  or  beautiful,  and   serve   to   some   ex- 


THE   PEOPLES   OF   THE   GREAT    FOREST      173 

tent  to  relieve  the  monotony  of  a  forest  journey.  If 
one  could  only  feel  fresh  and  vigorous,  a  stay  in  the 
forest  might  therefore  prove  enjoyable  ;  but,  worn  out  by 
fever  and  fatigue,  one  fails  to  appreciate  the  wonders  of 
the  woods  and  longs  for  the  open  landscape  and  pure 
air  of  the  plains. 

The  forest  north  of  Lodja  is  so  densely  populated 
that  we  were  too  much  occupied  in  observing  the  life  of 
the  natives  whom  we  met  to  give  way  to  the  feeling 
of  slackness  which  the  climate  produced.  The  first  of 
the  primitive  Batetela  tribes  with  whom  we  came  in 
contact  were  the  Vungi.  These  people  were  more 
scantily  attired  than  any  whom  we  had  yet  encountered. 
The  women  wore  nothing  but  two  bundles,  or  large 
tassels,  of  vegetable  fibre  suspended,  one  in  front  and  one 
behind,  from  a  girdle  of  rope,  while  the  men  wore  small 
pieces  of  native-made  cloth  or  the  skins  of  tiny  antelopes, 
put  on  in  the  same  way,  leaving  the  thighs  naked.  Their 
houses  were  small,  and  were  very  remarkable  in  that  a 
continuation  of  their  pent-shaped  roof  formed  a  verandah 
at  one  end  of  the  building,  beneath  which  the  women 
cooked  the  meals  and  the  family  spent  the  day  until 
driven  indoors  by  the  damp  mist  in  the  evenings.  The 
houses  themselves  were  constructed  of  the  bark  of  trees 
and  thatched  with  leaves.  Most  of  the  men  we  saw 
carried  smaller  bows  and  arrows  than  those  v/e  had  been 
accustomed  to  see  in  the  plains,  for  the  tangle  of  under- 
growth would  render  a  large  bow  unwieldy  in  the  forest. 
In  the  first  few  villages  we  passed  through  we  came  across 
one   or  two    plaster    houses,  and    occasionally   saw    a    man 


174      LAND   AND    PEOPLES    OF    THE   KASAI 

wearing  some  European  garment,  but  as  we  advanced 
northwards  these  signs  of  the  advance  of  a  change  from 
their  primitive  state  grew  rarer  and  more  rare  until,  as 
we  neared  the  Akela  country,  they  completely  disappeared. 
Among  the  peoples  of  this  portion  of  the  forest  which  I 
am  now  describing  plantains  take  the  place,  to  a  great 
extent,  of  cassava,  millet,  or  maize  in  the  manufacture  of 
dough,  which  constitutes  the  greater  part  of  a  native 
meal.  The  insides  of  the  plantains  are  pounded  into  a 
sort  of  flour  and  then  steamed  or  boiled,  and  eaten  either 
warm  or  cold.  Although  meat  is  obtainable  very  easily  in 
the  forest,  small  antelopes,  pigs,  and  monkeys  being  very 
abundant,  the  people  of  the  district,  in  common  with  most 
Congo  natives,  eat  very  little  of  it ;  a  small  piece,  some- 
times eaten  in  an  advanced  state  of  putrefaction,  being 
considered  sufficient  to  lend  a  little  taste  to  the  some- 
what insipid  dough.  In  all  of  the  numerous  villages  we 
passed  through  we  met  with  a  cordial  reception.  As  we 
habitually  marched  by  easy  stages  our  approach  was  ex- 
pected by  the  natives,  and  at  almost  every  village  a  supply 
of  food  was  laid  out  upon  leaves  in  the  street  in  readiness 
for  our  men.  This  pleased  us  very  much  at  first,  for  if 
our  carriers  found  a  meal  ready  for  them  on  their  arrival 
they  would  not  be  likely  to  get  into  any  dispute  over 
bargains  with  the  natives ;  but  when  we  found  as  many 
as  three  or  four  villages  upon  our  route,  each  of  which 
had  provided  an  enormous  quantity  of  food  for  the  men 
and  whose  chiefs  naturally  expected  a  correspondingly 
large  present,  we  came  to  the  conclusion  that  travelling 
in  the  forest  was  rather  expensive.     At  one  place,  where 


THE    PEOPLES   OF   THE   GREAT    FOREST      175 

the  chief  was  rather  more  civilised  than  most  of  his  neigh- 
bours and  consequently  was  determined  not  to  be  outdone 
by  them  in  the  cordiality  of  his  welcome  to  the  white  man, 
no  less  than  five  hundred  liberal  portions  of  dough  and 
meat  were  prepared  for  our  sixty  followers !  The  food, 
laid  out  on  plantain  leaves  in  two  long  lines,  reached  from 
one  end  of  the  village  to  the  other.  When  the  last  por- 
tion had  been  put  in  its  place  in  the  line,  a  bell  was  rung 
and  two  men  emerged  from  the  compound  behind  the 
chief's  hut  carrying  on  a  pole  a  freshly  killed  antelope 
for  Torday  and  myself.  Of  course  this  kind  of  reception 
is  extravagantly  lavish,  but  it  shows  the  spirit  in  which 
the  Batetela  of  the  forest  are  prepared  to  meet  the 
white  man. 

When  passing  through  a  thickly  populated  part  of 
this  country  one  can  scarcely  fail  to  offend  many  chiefs  by 
being  obliged  to  refuse  their  food,  for  one's  men  soon 
receive  so  much  that  they  not  only  have  more  than  they 
can  eat,  but  more  than  they  can  conveniently  carry  with 
them.  The  Okale  occupy  the  country  joining  the  Vungi 
territory  on  the  north.  These  people  are  in  many  respects 
similar  to  the  Vungi;  but  their  women  wear  small  fringes 
around  their  waists  in  place  of  the  tassels  I  have  described. 
Among  the  Okale  we  noticed  a  similar  system  of  signalling 
by  means  of  a  gong  to  that  in  vogue  among  the  Batetela  of 
Mokunji.  In  the  forest,  however,  the  gong  is  usually  a  fixture 
in  the  village,  consisting  of  a  huge  log,  hollowed  out,  which 
is  beaten  with  wooden  mallets.  We  came  across  one  ex- 
tremely primitive  signal  gong ;  it  consisted  simply  of  two 
flat  pieces  of  wood,  laid  across  a  hole  in  the  ground,  upon 


176      LAND   AND    PEOPLES    OF    THE    KASAI 

which  different  tones  could  be  produced  wherewith  to 
transmit  a  message.  Cannibalism,  once  as  prevalent  among 
the  forest  Batetela  as  among  their  neighbours  around  Kole, 
appears  to  be  fast  dying  out  even  in  the  most  primitive  vil- 
lages, although  no  doubt  many  instances  of  it  still  occur  which 
are  kept  secret  by  those  concerned  in  them.  A  very  notice- 
able feature  in  the  villages  of  the  Okale  are  the  neat  models 
of  houses  which  are  erected  over  their  tombs.  The  dead 
are  usually  buried  in  the  village,  and  the  graves  are  sur- 
rounded by  a  fence  to  keep  off  the  dogs  and  goats.  Over 
the  graves  are  built  little  houses,  often  of  better  construc- 
tion than  those  lived  in  by  the  people,  in  and  around  which 
are  hung  baskets,  cooking  pots,  and  other  articles  once  the 
property  of  the  man  who  rests  below.  Among  people  so 
primitive  as  the  dwellers  in  the  forest  it  was  not  to  be  ex- 
pected that  we  should  be  able  to  find  any  manufactures  to 
equal  in  artistic  beauty  the  wood  carvings  and  embroidery  of 
Misumba,  but  we  procured  a  fairly  large  and  representative 
collection  of  objects  in  daily  use  to  be  sent  to  the  British 
Museum.  The  people,  as  a  rule,  were  perfectly  willing  to 
sell  their  belongings  (at  their  own  price  !),  and  only  upon  one 
occasion  did  we  meet  with  a  Batetela  chief  who  declined  to 
sell  us  curios.  This  worthy  (who  was  very  likely  suffering 
from  an  attack  of  liver,  and  accordingly  not  inclined  to  be 
amiable)  stated  that  he  would  prefer  not  to  sell  us  anything, 
but  that  he  would  allow  his  drummer  to  perform  for  us 
while  we  sat  at  dinner  in  the  evening !  This  honour  we 
declined  ;  we  had  all  the  native  music  we  required  when 
in  the  forest  without  accepting  it  as  a  favour  from  the 
chiefs.     Very  often  upon  our  arrival  in  a  village  the  local 


A  i'Kimhivk  si(;nai.i  im;  gonc 


A   GRAVE-HUT    IX    THE    E(JUATOKIAL    FOREST. 


THE   PEOPLES   OF   THE   GREAT   FOREST      177 

natives  would  organise  a  dance,  in  which  our  porters,  who, 
one  would  have  imagined,  would  be  too  tired  to  indulge 
in  this  form  of  amusement,  used  to  take  part,  keeping  it 
up  sometimes  until  far  into  the  night.  Upon  one  occa- 
sion, when  the  women  were  dancing,  Torday  playfully 
snapped  his  fingers  near  the  nose  of  some  dusky  beauty, 
whereupon  the  chief  solemnly  requested  him  to  do  the 
same  for  all  the  ladies  of  the  village  in  order  that  jealousies 
might  not  arise !  The  old  man  evidently  believed  the 
gesture  to  be  some  magic  sign  which  would  have  some 
good  effect  upon  any  one  to  whom  it  was  shown.  Sugar- 
cane is  very  extensively  eaten  in  the  forest,  but  the  natives, 
of  course,  do  not  know  ordinary  "  lump  "  sugar  by  sight, 
and  we  used  to  get  quite  a  lot  of  amusement  out  of  them  by 
offering  them  pieces  of  that  delicacy  from  our  table.  They 
invariably  believed  that  we  were  giving  them  salt,  with 
which  they  were  well  acquainted,  and  their  grimaces  and 
expressions  of  disgust  on  tasting  the  sugar  were  ludicrous 
to  see  ;  although  in  reality  they  dearly  love  sweet  things, 
the  unexpected  taste  of  sugar  when  they  thought  they  were 
eating  salt  appeared  to  nearly  make  them  sick.  The  lump 
of  sugar  would  be  quickly  (and  not  very  delicately)  ejected 
from  the  mouth,  but  when  the  native  had  had  time  to 
realise  what  he  was  eating  he  would  try  it  again,  and  then 
pass  the  lump  around  to  the  assembled  populace,  each  of 
whom  licked  it  until  it  disappeared. 

On  the  way  to  the  Akela  country  we  found  few  oppor- 
tunities for  sport.  Stalking  is  almost  impossible  in  forest 
so  dense  as  that  through  which  we  were  travelling,  so  that 
to  go  out  in  search  of  buffalo,  antelope,  or  pig  would  really 


M 


178      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

have  been  a  waste  of  time.  Upon  two  occasions,  however, 
I  did  try  for  a  shot  at  buffalo,  which  are  fairly  numerous 
wherever  there  are  patches  of  grass  land  in  this  part  of 
the  forest.  Although  I  approached  very  near  indeed  to 
both  of  the  herds  I  attempted  to  stalk,  the  ferns  in  which 
they  were  concealed  were  so  thick  that  I  could  not  obtain 
a  glimpse  of  the  animals  before  they  got  my  wind,  or  were 
alarmed  by  the  slight  noise  which  I  could  not  avoid  making 
as  I  progressed.  I  cannot  help  thinking,  however,  that 
had  I  succeeded  in  bagging  one  of  these  beasts,  we  should 
have  added  a  third  species  of  buffalo  to  the  two  of  which 
we  obtained  specimens  later  on,  and  quite  possibly  the 
buffalo  from  the  forest  might  have  turned  out  to  be  un- 
known to  science,  as  did  the  animals  we  shot  later  on  the 
the  Kwilu  River,  Judging  by  the  size  of  their  tracks,  the 
small  impression  they  made  when  moving  fast  upon  soft 
ground,  and  the  low  cover  which  sufficed  to  hide  them, 
leads  me  to  believe  that  these  buffalo  are  of  a  smaller 
and  lighter  variety  than  either  the  Congo  buffalo  {Bos 
caffer  nanus)  which  I  killed  when  we  were  staying  at  the 
Mushenge  at  the  end  of  the  year,  or  the  Kwilu  buffalo 
{Bos  caffer  simpsoni)  which  we  discovered  on  the  banks  of 
the  Kwilu.  One  or  two  single  horns  which  I  saw  during 
our  journey  in  the  forest  would  appear,  by  their  small  size, 
to  support  this  theory.  From  a  few  strips  of  skin  which 
I  found  upon  drums,  &c,,  I  think  they  must  have  been 
of  the  same  reddish  colour  as  the  Congo  buffalo,  of  which 
male  and  female  specimens  are  to  be  found,  stuffed,  in  the 
Natural  History  Museum  at  South  Kensington,  Bush- 
buck   and   duikers   are  very  numerous  north  of  Lodja,  as 


THE   PEOPLES   OF   THE   GREAT   FOREST    179 

is  the  ubiquitous  red  pig  ;  and  elephants  are  to  be  found  in 
herds  of  about  a  dozen  head  in  the  country  near  the  Lomela 
River,  The  whole  of  this  country  must  be  practically  a 
terra  incognita  to  naturalists,  and  a  visit  to  it  should  amply 
repay  the  collector  who  cares  to  face  the  hardships  which 
the  bad  climate  renders  unavoidable. 

After  passing  through  the  country  occupied  by  the 
primitive  Batetela  and  their  more  civilised  kinsmen,  we 
came  at  last,  about  one  hundred  miles,  as  the  crow  flies, 
north  of  Lodja,  to  the  territory  of  the  Akela,  a  people 
whom  we  were  particularly  desirous  of  visiting,  as  nothing 
appears  to  have  been  known  about  them  in  Europe  pre- 
vious to  our  visit.  We  found  them  to  be  a  typical  forest 
people,  very  primitive  in  their  culture,  who  had  only  arrived 
in  their  present  territory  quite  lately,  having  migrated  from 
beyond  the  main  stream  of  the  Congo  within  the  memory 
of  the  older  men.  They  are  a  fine,  tall  people,  whose 
women  enjoy  a  great  reputation  for  beauty  among  the 
neighbouring  tribes.  How  far  this  reputation  is  justi- 
fied I  should  be  very  sorry  to  say,  for  I  have  long  since 
given  up  attempting  to  judge  of  the  personal  appearance 
of  African  ladies  ;  but  one  thing  is  clear — if  the  Akela 
women  are  really  admired  it  is  for  their  own  charm,  and 
not  for  any  beauty  which  their  costumes  can  lend  them. 
They  are  more  scantily  attired  than  any  of  the  people 
which  we  came  across,  even  in  the  forest,  where  costumes 
are  usually  sketchy,  for  they  wear  no  other  garment  than 
a  very  minute  piece  of  cloth  between  their  legs,  which  is 
supported  by  strings  around  their  waists.  Not  only  are 
the   garments  so  small  as  to  be  scarcely  visible,  but  they 


i8o      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF  THE   KASAI 

are  extremely  rare  ;  in  fact,  we  could  only  find  one  woman 
in  the  several  villages  we  visited  who  possessed  a  second 
"  dress  "  when  we  were  endeavouring  to  purchase  an  ex- 
ample of  Akela  fashions  for  the  Museum !  The  men 
are  similarly  attired  to  the  women,  but  their  pieces  of 
cloth  are  somewhat  larger.  The  men,  too,  frequently 
wear  neat  caps,  made  of  the  skins  of  monkeys,  to  pre- 
vent the  branches  of  the  trees  from  disarranging  their 
carefully  "  frizzed-out "  hair.  But  the  most  remarkable 
thing  about  the  Akela,  male  and  female,  is  their  lack  of 
teeth.  Many,  in  fact  most  of  the  tribes  of  the  southern 
Congo  knock  out  one  or  two  teeth  when  the  boy  or  girl 
grows  up,  or  else  they  file  away  portions  of  the  front  teeth 
so  as  to  form  some  definite  tribal  design,  but  the  Akela, 
as  soon  as  they  reach  marriageable  years,  knock  out  all 
their  incisor  teeth,  in  both  upper  and  lower  jaws !  The 
reason  for  this  strange  practice  appears  to  be  merely  the 
fact  that  it  is  fashionable.  The  absence  of  front  teeth 
causes  the  lips,  usually  protruding  in  the  negro  race,  to 
recede,  so  that  many  Akela  have  quite  a  European  type 
of  countenance.  The  usual  means  of  removing  teeth  is 
quite  in  accordance  with  the  barbarity  of  the  custom. 
The  village  blacksmith  places  an  iron  wedge  against  the 
tooth,  and  hits  it  with  a  block  of  wood  !  The  tooth 
is  thus  broken  oiF  short  at  the  gum.  A  result  of 
the  absence  of  front  teeth  is  a  strange  method  of 
eating  meat  which  we  found  among  the  Akela.  They 
cannot,  of  course,  bite  off  a  morsel  from  a  piece  of  meat 
held  in  the  hand,  as  do  most  natives  when  dining,  so 
they  hold  their  knives,  point  upwards,  between  their  toes, 


An  Akela  cuTTixr,  ur  his  food. 


Akei.a  warriors. 


THE   PEOPLES   OF   THE   GREAT   FOREST    i8i 

and  cut  off  mouthfuls  of  meat  by   drav/ing   it   along   the 
edges. 

Their  villages  are  built  in  just  sufficient  cleared  ground 
to  contain  the  number  of  huts  required,  and  are  often  very 
picturesque,  for  they  frequently  contain  palm-trees.  The 
huts  are  made  of  leaves,  and  many  of  them  are  so  primitive 
as  to  lack  walls,  resembling  the  sheds  under  which  the 
Bangongo  work  in  the  daytime  at  Misumba.  But  if  their 
dwellings  are  of  a  primitive  nature,  the  houses  which,  in 
common  with  their  Batetela  neighbours,  they  erect  over 
the  tombs  of  their  dead  are  well  built,  neat,  and  tidy. 
Respect  for  the  graves  of  the  departed  is  more  noticeable 
among  the  peoples  of  the  forest  than  among  any  of  the 
other  natives  we  visited.  One  often  passes  deserted  villages 
in  this  part  of  the  country  whose  inhabitants  have  left  them 
and  built  another  settlement  upon  the  death  of  a  chief  or 
some  other  important  member  of  the  community.  In  this 
the  primitive  Batetela  differ  considerably  from  their  more 
advanced  cousins  of  Mokunji,  who,  the  reader  will  re- 
member, were  only  too  pleased  to  sell  us  the  skulls  of 
their  dead.  We  did  not  collect  any  skulls  in  the  forest ; 
to  have  suggested  that  any  should  be  brought  to  us  would 
have  grievously  wounded  the  feelings  of  the  natives.  The 
Akela  provide  little  houses  for  their  chickens,  a  luxury  to 
which  most  Congo  fowls  are  unaccustomed.  In  their 
methods  of  warfare  these  immigrants  from  the  north 
display  a  difference  from  their  neighbours,  for  shields  are 
still  in  use  among  them.  These  are  hewn  out  of  solid 
wood,  but  are  remarkably  light,  and  are  large  enough  to 
afford  ample  shelter  to  a  man  crouching  behind  them.     We 


1 82      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF  THE   KASAI 

were  not  so  hospitably  received  by  the  Akela  as  by  their 
neighbours,  and  even  had  great  difficulty  in  persuading 
them  to  lead  us  from  one  village  to  another,  but  no  violence 
was  attempted  towards  us,  and  the  people  appeared  to  be 
quite  peaceful  if  not  provoked  by  any  act  of  aggression  on 
the  part  of  the  traveller  or  his  men.  On  the  whole,  we 
were  not  sorry  when,  turning  southwards  from  a  point 
about  five-and -twenty  miles  south  of  the  Government 
station  of  Lomela,  and,  marching  along  the  well-worn 
caravan  track  which  is  usually  followed  from  Lodja  to 
Lomela,  we  at  last  reached  that  land  of  plenty  and  hospit- 
able natives,  Kandolo's  territory,  and  thence  retraced  our 
steps  to  the  Lukenye.  Our  wanderings  among  the  Batetela 
had  shown  us  what  an  extraordinary  difference  can  exist 
in  manners  and  customs  and  in  general  character  in  peoples 
occupying  similar  country  ;  for  as  my  narrative,  I  hope,  has 
shown,  no  two  tribes  could  be  less  alike  than  the  Bankutu 
and  their  Batetela  neighbours.  I  have  already  stated  that 
when  we  were  leaving  the  forest  an  idea  was  mooted  of 
colonising  the  Bankutu  country  with  the  captured  Batetela 
mutineers,  and  this  plan  appears  to  me  to  be  an  admirable 
one.  The  villages  near  Lodja,  such  as  Kandolo,  show  what 
Batetela  energy  can  get  out  of  the  rich  forest  soil,  and  the 
rapid  spread  of  civilised  ideas,  emanating  from  the  more 
advanced  Batetela,  can  influence  their  neighbours.  It  seems 
quite  reasonable  to  hope,  therefore,  that  the  colonisation  of 
the  Bankutu  country  by  civilised  Batetela  will  lead  to  the 
cannibals  around  Kole  gradually  absorbing  the  ideas  of  the 
new-comers,  and  thus  step  by  step  advancing  from  their 
degraded  condition.     The  Bankutu  is  too  much  of  a  savage 


THE   PEOPLES   OF   THE   GREAT   FOREST    183 

to  understand  or  appreciate  any  innovations  introduced 
directly  by  the  European,  but  he  may  be  able  to  receive 
the  seed  of  civilisation  sown  by  other  natives,  and  soon  be 
ready  to  receive  and  even  welcome  the  changes  in  his  mode 
of  life  which  the  arrival  of  the  white  man  must  inevitably 
introduce  among  the  native  races  over  whom  he  rules.  A 
scheme  for  the  civilisation  of  the  peoples  of  the  southern 
portion  of  the  great  equatorial  forest  would  be  to  introduce 
any  useful  innovations  that  may  be  acceptable  to  the  pro- 
gressive Batetela  and  allow  them  to  pass  them  on  to  their 
neighbours ;  for  the  primitive  peoples  of  the  forest  would 
be  more  likely  to  copy  the  ways  of  another  native  tribe 
than  those  of  the  white  man  himself. 

We  spent  some  days  in  Lodja  after  our  journey  in  the 
forest,  to  rest  after  the  fatigue  of  almost  daily  marching, 
and  here  our  fox-terrier  bitch,  which  together  with  a  young 
dog  we  had  brought  out  with  us  from  England,  presented 
us  with  a  litter  of  puppies.  With  the  exception  of  one, 
which  died  in  a  few  weeks'  time,  all  the  puppies  lived  and 
thrived,  an  indication  that  hardy  European  dogs,  such  as 
fox-terriers,  can  exist  and  reproduce  even  in  the  bad  climate 
of  the  forest.  We  gave  away  the  father  of  the  litter  and 
all  the  puppies  excepting  one  to  various  white  men  whom 
we  met,  but  Sanga,  the  mother,  and  Lubudi,  the  puppy  we 
kept,  stayed  with  us  until  our  wanderings  were  at  an  end, 
and  never  were  sick  nor  sorry  for  a  single  day.  At  the  end 
of  our  journey,  Lubudi  was  given  to  some  nuns  who  were 
proceeding  to  a  mission  station,  but  Sanga  returned  with  us 
to  Europe,  only  to  succumb  to  an  abscess  on  the  brain, 
after   enduring    the    captivity  enforced    by  the   quarantine 


1 84  LAND  AND  PEOPLES  OF  THE  KASAI 
regulations  and  the  rigours  of  one  English  winter.  Poor 
little  Sanga !  She  was  a  faithful  companion,  and  I  think 
that  the  shooting  of  her  after  our  return  was  far  the  most 
unpleasant  task  I  was  called  upon  to  perform  in  connection 
with  our  journey.  She  is  buried  in  a  Kentish  garden,  quite 
close  to  the  cottage  where  she  was  born,  and  a  little  tomb- 
stone marks  the  last  resting-place  of  a  bitch  who  travelled 
far  and  endured  many  hardships  and  privations.  She  never 
loved  the  natives  except  our  own  "  boys,"  but  all  the 
natives  who  saw  her  were  most  anxious  to  possess  her,  and 
used  to  offer  us  high  prices  for  her.  It  used  to  be  quite 
amusing  to  place  her  on  a  table  and  promise  to  give  her  to 
any  one  who  would  lift  her  from  it.  Several  people  have 
approached  the  table,  but  no  one  has  dared  to  touch  her ! 

Upon  leaving  Lodja  we  marched  to  Idanga,  the  Kasai 
Company's  factory,  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Sankuru  at  the 
confluence  of  that  river  with  the  Lubefu.  The  way  lay 
through  several  outlying  villages  of  the  Bankutu,  but  these 
people  were  far  less  disagreeable  than  their  kinsmen  around 
Kole,  and  our  progress  through  their  country  was  un- 
eventful. We  were  delighted  to  leave  the  forest,  and, 
weary  and  footsore  as  we  were,  to  reach  a  place  by  the 
riverside  where  travelling  is  done  in  canoes,  and  where  we 
could  work  up  at  our  leisure  the  results  of  our  wanderings 
in  the  equatorial  forest. 


CHAPTER   VI 

AT   THE  COURT  OF  AN   AFRICAN    KING 

We  spent  a  few  days  at  Idanga  awaiting  the  arrival  of  a 
steamer  going  down-river  to  carry  us  to  Bolombo,  whence 
we  were  to  start  upon  our  march  to  the  capital  of  the 
Bushongo  nation.  During  the  greater  part  of  our  stay 
the  Kasai  Company's  agent  was  absent,  visiting  the  villages 
in  the  interior  behind  the  forest  which  borders  the  Sankuru, 
and  which  at  Idanga  is  a  comparatively  narrow  strip  of 
woodland  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river ;  we  therefore 
encamped  in  his  factory  garden,  and  occupied  our  time 
in  labelling  and  packing  curios,  writing  up  notes  upon 
the  forest  tribes,  and  resting  after  our  weary  marches  in 
the  forest.  Idanga  has  its  drawbacks,  for  there  is  little 
to  be  done  there  either  by  the  naturalist  or  the  ethnologist, 
and  the  mosquitos  and  tsetse-flies  are  more  numerous  than 
is  pleasant;  but  after  a  stay  in  the  forest  one  can  sit  all 
day  and  gaze  with  enjoyment  at  the  view,  extensive  com- 
pared with  any  obtainable  in  the  woods,  over  the  fine  broad 
reach  of  the  Sankuru,  at  the  time  of  our  visit  much  broken 
by  sandbanks,  for  the  dry  season  was  now  fast  drawing 
to  its  close  and  the  water  was  at  its  lowest.  Upon  the 
sandbanks  numberless  temporary  huts  had  been  erected  by 
the  local  Bushongo,  who  could  be  seen  from  the  factory 

busily  employed  all  day  long  at  making  and  setting  fish- 

185 


1 86      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF  THE   KASAI 

traps,  by  means  of  which  they  caught  a  lot  of  large  fish, 
always  bringing  the  best  of  them  for  sale  to  us.  One 
day  we  hired  a  canoe  from  the  fishermen  and  went  down- 
stream to  Bena  Dibele  to  call  upon  the  Italian  cavalry 
officer  who  had  recently  taken  over  the  command  of  the 
post,  and  to  bring  av/ay  the  baggage  we  had  left  there 
upon  setting  out  into  the  forest.  We  found  Lieutenant 
Morretti's  civilian  assistant  in  a  very  bad  state  of  health. 
There  was,  I  think,  little  really  the  matter  with  him,  but 
he  had  allowed  the  gloom  of  the  surrounding  forest  to  get 
upon  his  nerves  to  such  an  extent  that  he  could  talk  of 
nothing  but  death,  and  mistook  a  small  piece  of  metal 
lying  on  the  ground  for  the  number-plate  of  his  coffin ! 
He  was  eventually  moved  to  rather  more  cheerful  sur- 
roundings, and,  I  believe,  quite  recovered  his  mental  equi- 
librium. In  the  forest  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  force 
oneself  to  look  at  the  bright  side  of  everything  ;  if  once 
one  allows  oneself  to  become  pessimistic  one  is  pretty  sure 
to  break  down  in  health  ;  and  the  bright  side  of  life  in  the 
forest  is  not  always  easy  to  find. 

While  we  were  calling  at  Dibele  a  Government  steamer 
came  down  the  river  having  on  board  Captain  the  Hon.  W. 
G.  Thesiger,  D.S.O.,  then  his  Majesty's  consul  at  Boma. 
This  gentleman  had  just  completed  a  tour  of  some  few 
months'  duration  over  a  large  area  of  the  southern  Congo, 
in  the  course  of  which  he  had  paid  a  brief  visit  to  the 
capital  of  the  Bushongo  people  and  made  the  acquaintance 
of  their  king.  Captain  Thesiger  informed  us  that  he  had 
seen  many  beautiful  wood-carvings,  chief  among  which  were 
the   portrait   statues  of  the   two  old-time  national  heroes, 


AT   THE   COURT   OF   AN   AFRICAN   KING    187 

which  were  apparently  regarded  with  the  greatest  reverence 
by  the  king  and  the  people.  We  had  heard  of  the  existence 
of  these  statues  during  our  stay  at  Misumba,  but  up  to  now 
had  been  doubtful  if  we  should  be  allowed  to  see  them. 
Captain  Thesiger  reassured  us  on  this  point,  but  seemed 
to  think  that  there  would  be  no  chance  of  our  being  able 
to  purchase  one  for  the  Museum ;  we  dared  not  hope 
so  much  ourselves ;  but  I  shall  have  more  to  say  about 
these  statues  later.  Captain  Thesiger  gave  us  another 
interesting  piece  of  information  :  he  had  recently  visited 
Kanda  Kanda,  a  Government  station  about  one  hundred  and 
sixty  miles  to  the  south-east  of  Luebo,  and  had  there  found 
that  lions  had  just  appeared  in  the  neighbourhood.  From 
what  we  are  able  to  gather,  lions  are  unknown  north  of  this 
district ;  although  I  have  seen  it  stated  that  the  Sankuru 
was  their  northern  limit,  I  was  not  able  to  obtain  any  evi- 
dence to  show  that  they  have  been  found  so  far  north  as  the 
middle  course  of  that  river.  It  has  been  rumoured  that  a 
lion  was  killed  near  the  confluence  of  the  Kwango  and  the 
Kasai  some  few  years  back,  but  I  believe  the  rumour  is 
generally  discredited.  Around  Kanda  Kanda  the  country 
is  better  supplied  with  game  than  the  districts  we  visited, 
but  even  there  the  newly  arrived  lions  had  taken  to  man- 
eating  to  such  an  extent  as  to  cause  a  panic  in  the  villages. 
As  soon  as  we  had  packed  our  curios  at  Idanga  we  were 
ready  to  start  for  the  Mushenge,  so  the  Kasai  Company's 
steamer  found  us  waiting  to  go  on  board  with  as  little  delay 
as  possible  when  it  descended  the  river  on  its  way  from 
Batempa  to  Dima.  The  voyage  passed  off  without  incident, 
excepting  that  one  night  during  a  tornado,  our  camp  on  the 


1 88      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

shore  was  very  nearly  set  on  fire  by  sparks  driven  by  the 
wind  from  the  fires  of  the  crew ;  only  the  dampness  saved 
our  tents  from  catching  fire.  In  the  matter  of  fires  one's 
"boys"  are  usually  extremely  careless,  making  them  in  the 
most  dangerous  places,  and  one  has  to  be  constantly  on  the 
look-out  for  accidents  arising  from  the  placing  of  a  candle 
too  close  to  the  sloping  roof  of  one's  tent,  or  some  other 
equally  foolish  and  avoidable  cause.  It  seems  remarkable 
that  natives  whose  habitations  are  very  inflammable  should 
be  so  careless,  but  it  is  a  fact. 

At  Bolombo  we  stayed  for  a  few  days  awaiting  the 
arrival  of  an  answer  from  the  king  of  the  Bushongo,  to 
whom  we  sent  a  message  informing  him  of  our  desire  to 
visit  his  capital,  and  inquiring  if  he  would  send  porters  to 
carry  our  loads  from  the  river.  In  due  course  a  number  of 
men  arrived,  under  the  leadership  of  one  of  the  Nyimi's 
(this  is  the  title  of  the  king)  courtiers,  who  told  us  that  his 
master  had  heard  of  our  visit  to  the  eastern  part  of  his 
territory,  and  had  expected  to  see  us  earlier  at  his  capital ; 
now  that  we  were  coming  he  would  be  pleased  to  welcome 
us.  We  noticed  one  or  two  differences,  even  among  the 
porters  who  came  to  carry  our  baggage,  between  the  Ban- 
gongo  of  the  Lubudi  River  and  the  natives  from  the 
country  around  the  Mushenge.  Whereas  at  Misumba  only 
the  elders  wore  little  conical  caps  of  plaited  grass  upon 
their  top-knots,  this  headgear  seemed  to  be  quite  commonly 
worn  by  the  people  of  Mushenge,  and  we  looked  in  vain 
for  signs  of  the  lavish  application  of  tukula  dye  to  the  per- 
son and  loin-cloths  which  is  so  noticeable  at  Misumba ; 
moreover,  most  of  the  men  who  came  to  carry  for  us  wore 


AT   THE   COURT   OF   AN   AFRICAN   KING   189 

European  cotton  around  their  waists.  We  crossed  the  San- 
kuru  in  a  large  dug-out  as  soon  as  all  our  baggage  had  been 
transported  over  the  river.  We  had  not  very  much  with 
us,  for  our  stock  of  provisions  was  well-nigh  at  an  end,  and 
we  were  relying  upon  receiving  from  Luebo  many  cases  of 
stores  which  should  have  been  there  since  the  beginning  of 
the  year  awaiting  our  arrival.  Also  we  carried  with  us  very 
little  in  the  way  of  trade  goods,  for  we  knew  that  there  was 
a  factory  near  the  Mushenge  where  we  could  purchase  such 
articles  as  would  be  most  readily  accepted  by  the  natives. 
The  country  between  the  Sankuru  and  the  Mushenge  is 
hilly.  The  belt  of  forest  that  borders  the  river  is  only 
about  six  miles  wide,  and  gives  place  to  grass  land,  fairly 
thickly  studded  with  small  trees  in  which  extensive  patches 
of  woodland  are  very  numerous.  Near  to  the  angle  formed 
by  the  confluence  of  the  Sankuru  and  the  Kasai  the  forest 
belts  of  both  these  rivers  meet,  and  the  country  is  therefore 
densely  wooded.  As  one  goes  on  southward  towards  the 
Mushenge  the  plains  become  more  extensive  and  less 
studded  with  trees  until  one  reaches  a  high  grassy  plateau 
about  twenty  miles  south  of  the  Sankuru  which  forms  the 
watershed  between  that  river  and  the  Luchwadi  (marked 
Lotjadi  on  the  accompanying  map),  a  stream  that  flows 
westwards  into  the  Kasai.  The  distance  from  Bolombo  to 
the  Mushenge  is  only  about  thirty  miles,  in  a  direct  line, 
but  we  marched  by  easy  stages  in  order  to  see  something  of 
the  villages  we  passed  through,  and  did  not  arrive  at  the 
capital  until  the  fifth  day  after  our  start  from  the  Sankuru. 
The  villages  in  this  part  of  the  country  disappointed  us  very 
much  after  becoming  accustomed  to  associate  the  Bushongo 


190      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

with  such  beautiful  villages  as  Misumba.  In  place  of  the 
neatly  decorated  houses  which  we  had  admired  so  much 
among  the  Bangongo  we  found  dwellings  of  a  similar  design, 
but  built  simply  of  palm  leaves,  with  no  attempt  at  orna- 
mentation, and  little  or  none  of  the  regularity  with  which 
the  villages  of  the  eastern  Bushongo  are  laid  out.  The 
places  were  often  very  pretty,  with  their  huts  dotted  about 
under  the  shade  of  fine  old  raphia  or  elais  palms,  but  the 
beauty  was  the  beauty  of  nature,  and  showed  little  of  the 
artistic  tendencies  which  we  knew  the  natives  must  possess. 
We  subsequently  learned  that  the  people  of  the  eastern  part 
of  the  Bushongo  territory  are  famous  for  the  skill  with 
which  they  build  and  decorate  their  houses,  and  that  we 
must  not  set  up  Misumba  as  a  standard  whereby  to  judge 
all  the  Bushongo  villages.  At  the  entrance  to  one  hamlet 
we  came  across  a  quaint  "  charm  "  overhanging  the  road. 
This  consisted  of  a  square  piece  of  wickerwork,  suspended 
from  a  pole,  which  had  been  literally  riddled  with  arrows, 
many  of  which  were  still  sticking  in  it.  At  another  place 
we  found  a  very  old  elephant's  tusk,  of  considerable  size, 
firmly  planted  point  downwards  in  the  ground  under  a 
shelter  in  the  village  street.  We  learned  that  it  was 
formerly  the  custom  when  the  great  king  paid  a  State 
visit  to  the  villages  to  plant  an  elephant's  tusk  in  such  a 
manner  that  he  could  lean  back  upon  it  when  sitting  upon 
his  throne  ;  the  tusks  so  placed  were  never  removed,  but 
were  left  sticking  in  the  ground  as  a  souvenir  to  the 
villagers  of  the  visit  of  their  king.  The  tusk  we  saw  was 
so  weather-worn  that  a  small  piece  of  it  which  I  brought 
away  has  not  been  recognised  as  ivory  by  any  one  to  whom  I 


AT   THE   COURT   OF   AN   AFRICAN   KING    191 

have  shown  it.  I  ought,  perhaps,  to  say  that  this  souvenir 
of  a  former  king  is  not  regarded  with  respect  by  the  villagers 
or  I  should,  of  course,  not  have  touched  it,  much  less  re- 
moved a  piece  from  inside  its  cavity ;  we  were  always  most 
careful  to  avoid  hurting  the  natives'  feelings  by  treating 
with  contempt  anything  they  might  possibly  consider  sacred, 
for  had  we  done  so  we  could  not  have  expected  to  gain 
their  confidence  and  learn  anything  of  their  customs  and 
beliefs.  A  negro  is  very  unlikely  to  tell  you  any  legend  or 
piece  of  tribal  history  if  he  thinks  there  is  any  chance  of 
your  disbelieving  or  laughing  at  it. 

Buffaloes  are  to  be  found  in  the  country  between  the 
Mushenge  and  the  Sankuru,  and  we  came  across  the  fresh 
tracks  of  one  or  two  small  herds,  but  we  did  not  make  any 
serious  attempt  to  hunt  them,  as  I  intended  to  take  a  short 
trip  in  search  of  sport  after  we  had  settled  down  at  the 
capital.  Upon  the  fifth  day  we  were  ferried  in  small  canoes 
across  the  lagoons  around  the  stream  of  the  Luchwadi,  the 
boats  winding  in  and  out  amidst  a  tangle  of  the  most 
glorious  vegetation,  and  thence  walked  the  remaining  five 
miles  or  so  to  the  Mushenge.  Leaving  the  mission  station 
of  the  Peres  de  Scheut  about  half  a  mile  to  the  left  of  the 
main  road,  we  ascended  the  steep  slope  to  the  crest  of  the 
hill  on  which  the  capital  stands  and  found  ourselves  almost 
unexpectedly  in  the  village,  which  we  had  not  seen  until  we 
entered  it.  There  were  no  signs  of  any  extensive  cultivation 
by  the  roadside  which  would  have  indicated  that  we  were 
approaching  a  large  native  settlement. 

Upon  our  arrival  we  were  conducted  at  once  towards 
the  dwelling  of  the  great  chief,   but  on  reaching  the  gates 


192      LAND   AND   PEOPLES  OF   THE   KASAI 

of  his  "  palace  "  yard  the  king  came  out  to  meet  us  accom- 
panied by  one  of  the  Belgian  priests  from  the  mission,  who 
were  preparing  to  leave  the  Mushenge  in  a  few  days,  the 
mission  station  having  been  abandoned.  The  priest,  after 
exchanging  greetings  with  us,  left  us  to  make  the  acquaint- 
ance of  our  host,  and  we  looked  with  no  little  curiosity 
upon  the  man  who  ruled  over  so  remarkable  a  people  as  the 
Bushongo.  Of  medium  height  (short  by  comparison  with 
many  of  his  stalwart  subjects)  but  remarkably  well-built, 
Kwete  Peshanga  Kena  looked  every  inch  a  chief.  He  was 
dressed  in  native  costume  ;  a  very  long  pink  loin-cloth, 
gathered  into  many  folds  around  his  waist,  was  held  in  place 
by  a  girdle  in  which  was  stuck  a  broad-bladed  knife,  similar 
to  that  carried  by  the  meanest  of  his  subjects,  except  that 
its  blade  was  neatly  inlaid  with  a  design  in  brass  resembling 
a  crocodile  ;  he  wore  a  small  conical  cap  upon  his  head,  held 
in  place  by  a  copper  hatpin,  the  sign  of  an  elder,  for  only 
court  dignitaries  may  wear  hatpins  made  of  copper.  The 
only  ornaments  he  displayed  were  two  bracelets  on  each  arm, 
of  iron  and  of  copper,  an  iron  ring  on  each  of  his  big  toes, 
and  a  thin  strip  of  zebra  skin,  imported  from  the  far  south, 
worn  like  a  bandolier  over  one  shoulder.  But  perhaps  the 
most  remarkable  thing  about  the  Nyimi's  appearance  is  his 
face.  I  have  seldom  seen  so  strong  a  face  in  a  negro  ;  he 
has  steady,  unflinching  eyes,  a  high  forehead,  a  nose  and  lips 
which  are  quite  fine  for  a  negro,  and  a  very  well-shaped, 
determined  jaw.  He  greeted  us  quite  simply,  and  when  he 
spoke  it  was  in  such  a  quiet,  almost  musical  voice  that  one 
might  almost  have  imagined,  were  it  not  for  the  Chituba 
language  in  which  we  conversed,  that  one  was  listening  to  a 


AT   THE   COURT   OF   AN  AFRICAN   KING   193 

refined,  well-educated  European.  The  Nyimi  was  attended 
by  a  few  old  men,  evidently  dignitaries  of  his  court,  and  a 
score  or  so  of  younger  ones,  most  of  them  probably  slaves. 
He  conducted  us  to  a  spot  in  the  middle  of  the  principal 
street  of  the  Mushenge  where  we  could  conveniently  pitch 
our  tents,  and  then  we  all  sat  down  under  a  .  hclter  formed 
by  the  pent-shaped  roof  of  a  hut,  which  was  >vaiting  to  be 
placed  bodily  in  position  when  walls  had  been  built  to 
support  it,  while  the  king  inquired  our  business  in  the  village. 
Torday  had  heard  that  the  Nyimi  was  an  exceptionally 
intelligent  native,  and  had  determined  to  take  him  fully  into 
our  confidence.  He  therefore  laid  before  him  the  objects 
of  our  journey.  He  asked  if  the  chief  had  not  noticed  that, 
as  the  influence  of  the  white  man  advances,  the  natives 
change  their  tribal  customs ;  it  was  to  write  down  and  so 
preserve  these  customs  together  with  the  religious  beliefs  of 
the  people  that  we  had  come.  He  pointed  out  how  many 
native  arts  were  dying  out,  and  he  said  that  we  desired  to 
purchase  objects  of  native  manufacture  in  order  to  place 
them  for  all  the  world  to  see  in  a  large  house  in  the  capital 
town  of  our  country,  where  were  kept  specimens  of  the 
manufactures  of  all  the  peoples  in  the  world.  Thus  any  one 
visiting  the  house  would  see  the  carvings,  the  pile-cloth, 
and  the  ironwork  of  the  Bushongo,  and  would  realise  what 
wonderful  workmen  these  people  are.  "  Often,"  said  Tor- 
day,  "  you  give  away  some  keepsake  to  a  white  man,  but 
what  becomes  of  it .?  It  is  lost,  or  in  years  to  come  no  one 
will  know  what  it  is  or  whence  it  came.  Everything  that 
you  or  your  people  will  sell  to  me  will  go  to  the  big  house  I 
have  mentioned,  and  there  remain  for  all  time  as  evidence 

N 


194     LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE    KASAI 

of  the  skill   and  greatness  of  your  race."     Thus  he  ex- 
plained to  the  chief  the  uses  of  the  British  Museum. 

Kwete  at  once  grasped  the  situation,  and  remarked  that 
the  greatness  of  his  people  as  manufacturers  of  objects  of 
art  was  fast  passing  away ;  he  would  be  glad,  therefore,  to 
think  that  their  handiwork  was  being  kept  and  exhibited, 
and  he  would  give  orders  that  any  one  who  wished  to 
dispose  of  any  carvings,  &c.,  should  offer  them  for  sale  to  us. 
With  regard  to  the  history  and  customs  of  his  tribe,  he 
said  that  he  would  himself  furnish  us  with  all  the  particu- 
lars he  could,  and  that  he  would  summon  various  old  men 
from  his  country  to  supply  any  information  which  he  him- 
self might  not  possess  ;  he  wished  it  to  be  written  down. 
Several  times  in  the  months  which  followed  the  king 
remarked  to  us,  "  Writing :  that  is  the  strength  of  the 
white  man."  Of  course  the  Nyimi  had  heard  of  our  stay 
at  Misumba,  and  no  doubt  had  been  told  that  we  were 
popular  there,  and  had  done  no  harm  to  any  one,  so  he 
was  probably  predisposed  towards  us  before  we  arrived  at 
his  capital,  and  he  subsequently  became  our  firm  friend. 
Having  welcomed  us  to  his  village,  Kwete  returned  to  his 
own  dwelling,  accompanied  by  his  courtiers,  and  left  us 
to  walk  over  to  the  Kasai  Company's  factory  to  order 
a  supply  of  trade  goods,  and  inquire  if  our  provisions  had 
arrived  from  Luebo.  The  factory  lies  about  three-quarters 
of  an  hour's  walk  to  the  south  of  the  village,  on  the 
opposite  side  of  a  ravine  in  which  there  flows  a  little  brook  ; 
the  mission  station  is  a  similar  distance  to  the  east  of  the 
capital.  We  found  the  company's  agent  at  home,  and  fell 
to  discussing  with  him  what  goods  to  offer  in  exchange  for 


AT   THE   COURT   OF   AN   AFRICAN   KING    195 

curios.  He  informed  us  that  cotton  materials  sold  well, 
and  that  cowrie  shells  were  very  acceptable  as  small  change, 
in  addition  to  the  salt  which  is  so  commonly  used  as 
currency  in  the  Kasai,  We  accordingly  purchased  a  good 
amount  of  commodities,  and  then  asked  if  any  boxes  had 
come  for  us  from  Luebo.  Nothing  had  arrived.  This 
was  very  annoying,  for  we  had  expected  that  our  stores 
would  have  been  waiting  for  us,  and  we  had  practically 
nothing  left  in  the  way  of  tea,  flour,  sugar,  and  the  other 
necessities  of  life  which  one  brings  out  from  Europe  ;  so 
we  despatched  a  messenger  at  once  to  Luebo,  asking  for 
the  things  to  be  sent  on  without  delay,  and  meanwhile 
settled  down  to  exist  on  short  commons  and  commence 
our  work  in  the  Mushenge. 

The  first  thing  to  be  done  was  to  explore  the  village. 
The  Mushenge  is  by  no  means  so  imposing  a  village  as 
one  might  expect  to  find  as  the  capital  of  the  greatest 
tribe  of  the  Kasai.  The  Bushongo  are  far  too  conservative 
in  their  ideas  to  have  taken  to  building  houses  of  plaster 
modelled  upon  a  white  man's  dwelling,  and,  as  I  have 
remarked,  the  neatly  decorated  huts  seen  at  Misumba  are 
peculiar  to  the  eastern  sub-tribes  of  the  Bushongo ;  the 
dwellings  at  the  Mushenge  are  simple  rectangular  huts 
built  of  palm  leaves,  such  as  the  natives  have  inhabited 
for  many  generations.  Each  of  their  huts  stands  in  its 
own  little  courtyard,  which  is  surrounded  by  a  wall  of 
palm  leaves,  about  six  or  seven  feet  in  height,  so  that  in 
passing  through  the  village  one  sees  very  few  of  the  build- 
ings themselves,  the  roadway  being  bordered  by  the  walls 
of   the    courtyards.       Between    these    yards    is    a    regular 


196      LAND   AND  PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

labryinth  of  narrow  tortuous  passages,  which  constitute  the 
by-roads  of  the  place,  there  being  two  wide  streets,  in  one 
of  which  our  camp  was  pitched,  running  through  the 
village.  As  the  Mushenge  has  no  other  inhabitants  than 
those  attached  to  the  court  of  the  king,  the  place  is  not 
a  large  one  ;  I  should  doubt  if  it  contains  two  thousand 
people.  To  the  west  of  the  village,  just  outside  the 
cluster  of  huts,  is  an  open  space,  cleared  of  scrub  and  high 
grass,  where  dances  and  public  meetings  are  very  frequently 
held.  In  the  midst  of  his  capital  is  situated  the  dwelling 
of  the  king.  It  is  surrounded  by  a  higher  wall  than  any 
other  houses  in  the  place,  and  inside  this  palisade  are 
innumerable  courtyards  connected  by  small  doorways,  in 
which  are  built  store-houses,  treasure-houses,  accommoda- 
tion for  the  king's  wives  and  for  his  personal  slaves,  and 
a  guard-room.  The  guard-room  is  situated  at  the  entrance 
to  the  courtyard  through  which  one  must  pass  if  one 
would  visit  the  royal  sleeping-house,  and  there  are  always 
a  few  slaves  waiting  in  it  to  carry  messages  for  the  king, 
and  to  keep  out  intruders.  These  sentries  are  unarmed. 
At  the  entrance  to  the  small  enclosure  in  which  the  king's 
private  house  stands  is  a  shed,  beneath  which  the  Nyimi 
sits  when  in  council  with  his  elders  or  when  trying  a  case, 
for  he  acts  as  judge  himself  in  all  important  cases ;  and 
here  it  was  that  we  used  to  visit  the  king  during  the  early 
part  of  our  stay  at  the  Mushenge,  before  we  became  so 
friendly  with  him  that  he  would  receive  us  anywhere  and 
without  any  attendants.  The  private  house  of  the  king 
consists  of  a  very  large  replica  of  a  Misumba  hut,  with 
the    black    patterns    worked    on    its    walls    which    are    so 


AT    THE   COURT   OF   AN   AFRICAN   KING    197 

noticeable  a  feature  In  the  villages  of  the  eastern  Bushongo  ; 
it  is  divided  into  two  spacious  rooms,  in  one  of  which  is 
situated  another  rectangular  house,  exactly  resembling  in 
shape,  ornamentation,  and  size  a  hut  of  Misumba ;  in  this 
inner  house  the  king  sleeps.  The  roof  of  the  palace  is 
supported  by  massive  wooden  pillars,  elaborately  carved, 
and  in  the  centre  of  the  little  doorway  is  a  beautifully 
carved  door-post  dividing  the  entrance  into  two.  Door- 
posts such  as  this,  some  of  them  of  great  age,  are  common 
at  the  Mushenge,  and  one  often  sees  specimens  of  wood- 
carving  of  an  artistic  quality,  worthy  of  place  in  any 
European  mansion,  supporting  the  doorway  of  the  most 
dilapidated  leaf  huts.  The  other  buildings  in  the  pre- 
cincts of  the  palace  are  mostly  of  the  ordinary  pattern  used 
in  the  village,  but  of  rather  larger  size. 

I  have  mentioned  the  fact  that  one  sees  no  plantations 
around  the  Mushenge  when  entering  the  village  from  the 
north.  In  days  gone  by  it  was  not  customary  for  the 
Nyimi  or  his  courtiers  to  cultivate  any  land  for  themselves, 
their  wants  being  supplied  by  the  other  villages  in  the 
neighbourhood.  It  is  therefore  only  quite  recently  that 
any  plantations  at  all  have  been  made  near  the  dwelling 
of  the  king.  Acting  on  the  advice  of  a  Government  official, 
the  Nyimi  has  now  ordered  plantations  to  be  made  around 
his  capital,  and  has  thus  removed  a  considerable  burden 
from  his  subjects,  who  had  previously  to  cultivate  sufficient 
land  to  supply  him  and  his  court  with  food  as  well  as 
themselves.  As  a  result  many  acres  are  now  planted  with 
ground  nuts,  cassava,  and  maize,  especially  on  the  western 
side  of  the  village.     These  plantations  are  concealed  from 


198      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE    KASAI 

view  by  woodlands,  so  that  any  one  who  does  not  wander 
much  around  the  outskirts  of  the  place  might  easily  visit 
the  Mushenge  and  come  away  with  the  impression  that 
its  plantations  are  extremely  meagre,  very  few  of  them 
being  visible  from  the  paths  leading  to  the  mission  or  to 
the  factory.  During  our  stay  of  nearly  four  months  at 
the  capital  we  took  our  exercise  in  the  form  of  rambles 
with  the  gun,  and  it  was  when  out  in  search  of  guinea-fowl 
that  we  were  able  to  form  some  estimate  of  the  extent  of 
the  plantations.  Many  of  the  fields  had  only  recently  been 
cleared  of  forest  or  grass  in  1908,  but  by  the  time  these 
lines  are  in  print  the  output  of  food-stuffs  from  them 
should  be  very  considerable.  In  following  the  advice  of 
the  Government  official  with  regard  to  the  formation  of 
these  plantations,  the  Nyimi  has  displayed  an  inclination 
to  introduce  useful  innovations  suggested  by  the  white 
man,  which  is  characteristic  of  him,  but  which  is  not  shared 
by  his  extremely  conservative  councillors.  In  days  gone 
by  the  Bushongo  have  been  a  very  mighty  people  ;  fifty  or 
sixty  years  ago  it  was  sufficient  for  a  man  to  be  able  to 
say,  "  I  am  a  subject  of  the  Nyimi,"  to  ensure  his  being 
received  with  honour  in  the  villages  of  the  neighbouring 
tribes.  The  more  primitive  peoples  who  dwell  around 
them  used  to  respect  the  Bushongo ;  they  admired  their 
skill  in  carving,  weaving,  and  embroidering ;  they  admired 
the  glamour  of  the  court  of  their  king ;  they  respected  the 
ruler  who  held  sway  over  such  extensive  dominions.  But 
when  the  white  man  appeared  in  Central  Africa,  their 
neighbours  realised  that  there  are  peoples  more  advanced, 
more  powerful,  and   more  clever  than  the  Bushongo,  and 


AT   THE   COURT   OF   AN   AFRICAN   KING   199 

the  fact  that  nowadays  the  Nyimi  would  be  prevented  by 
the  European  from  calling  his  people  to  arms  and  annihi- 
lating one  of  his  weaker  neighbours,  has  helped  to  lessen 
the  respect  in  which  he  and  his  people  are  held.  But  the 
Bushongo,  particularly  the  older  people,  are  just  as  proud 
as  ever  they  were.  The  inhabitants  of  the  Mushenge 
despise  not  only  all  foreigners,  but  even  members  of  their 
own  tribe  who  do  not  happen  to  be  attached  to  the  court 
of  the  king.  They  have  in  their  language  the  "  bokono," 
which  corresponds  to  our  "  yokel "  or  "  country  cousin," 
and  is  applied  to  the  Bushongo  who  live  in  villages  other 
than  the  Mushenge  ;  these  people  are  considered  by  the 
courtiers  to  be  less  educated  and  refined  than  themselves. 
In  the  capital  are  to  be  found  many  descendants  of  former 
kings,  so  its  people  are  really  the  cream  of  Bushongo 
aristocracy.  These  people,  particularly  the  old  councillors 
of  the  king,  are  much  opposed  to  the  presence  of  the 
European  in  their  country,  and  to  the  introduction  of  any 
of  his  ways.  As  a  rule  most  of  the  high  dignitaries  of 
his  court  are  not  officially  present  when  the  king  interviews 
a  white  man,  but  any  one  who  knows  them  personally  may 
find  them  in  the  background  of  many  a  group  photo- 
graphed by  travellers,  just  mingling  with  the  throng,  but 
always  at  hand  to  hear  what  their  ruler  may  be  saying 
to  the  European,  Most  of  the  white  men  who  have  visited 
the  Nyimi  are  probably  in  ignorance  of  the  existence  of 
elders  of  especial  importance,  but  in  reality  the  king  can 
do  practically  nothing  without  the  consent  of  his  council. 

In  1904  the  Bushongo  took  up  arms  against  the  white 
man,  but  the  king  himself  was  much  opposed  to  the  rising. 


200      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

which  was  practically  forced  upon  him,  so  he  informed  us, 
when  we  became  better  acquainted  with  him,  by  his  elders. 
The  insurrection,  it  appears,  was  of  a  very  tame  character, 
partly  because  the  Nyimi  entered  into  it  in  a  very  half- 
hearted spirit,  which  doubtless  soon  spread  through  the 
ranks  of  his  warriors,  and  partly  because  the  Bushongo, 
having  for  centuries  been  considered  invincible  by  their 
neighbours,  had  no  opportunity  of  maintaining  the  military 
qualities  which  they  must  once  have  possessed,  and  had 
become  more  accustomed  to  the  arts  of  peace  than  to  the 
stern  business  of  war.  The  Bangongo  did  not,  I  believe, 
take  any  part  whatever  in  the  rising  of  1904,  and  their 
absence  from  the  field  deprived  the  Nyimi  of  some  of 
his  best  fighting  men.  The  present-day  youth  of  the 
Mushenge  is  certainly  no  warrior ;  he  is  a  typical  "  young 
man  about  town."  He  loves  to  idle  away  his  days  loung- 
ing about  the  streets  or  around  the  precincts  of  the  royal 
dwelling  in  no  official  capacity  whatever,  but  merely  as  a 
hanger-on  to  the  court,  and  to  sit  up  far  into  the  night 
talking  and  joking  with  his  friends,  a  habit  which  soon 
lowers  him  in  the  estimation  of  the  European  traveller 
whose  tent  happens  to  be  pitched  in  the  middle  of  the 
local  '*  Piccadilly "  and  who  desires  to  sleep  after  a  hard 
day's  work.  The  natives  of  the  Mushenge  sit  up  much 
later  than  do  the  natives  of  any  other  place  we  visited, 
and  in  order  to  recover  from  the  strain  of  the  gay  life  in 
the  capital  the  children  of  the  courtiers  are  frequently  sent 
out  into  the  neighbouring  hamlets  to  visit  their  country 
relations. 

Life    at    the    Mushenge    is    certainly   gay.      A    certain 


HuSHONliO    K.l.DEKS    IJAXCING. 


AT   THE   COURT   OF   AN  AFRICAN   KING   201 

amount  of  work  is  got  through  owing  to  the  plantations, 
but  the  clearing  of  the  ground  is  done  mainly  by  slaves 
and  the  cultivation  by  the  v/omen,  so  that  it  does  not  fall 
upon  the  young  men  of  the  Bushongo ;  and  as  every  third 
day  is  kept  as  a  "  bank-holiday,"  no  one  is  overburdened 
with  toil.  The  men  can  very  often  find  employment 
whereby  to  earn  some  European  cloth  by  carrying  loads 
to  and  from  the  Kasai  Company's  factory,  and  the  cloth 
thus  earned  is  rapidly  replacing  the  palm  fibre  material 
formerly  always  worn  around  the  waist.  The  gaieties  of 
the  Mushenge  usually  take  the  form  of  dances  ;  the  Nyimi 
is  a  most  enthusiastic  dancer,  and  likes  nothing  better  than 
to  hold  State  dances  in  the  open  space  to  the  east  of  the 
village,  in  which  he  himself  takes  part.  The  first  dance  we 
saw  was  a  large  one  which  was  held  shortly  after  our  arrival 
in  the  village  to  celebrate  the  conclusion  of  a  period  of 
mourning  through  which  the  nation  had  just  passed  owing 
to  the  death  of  the  king's  sister. 

As  the  sun  was  beginning  to  sink  a  little  and  the  great 
heat  of  the  afternoon  became  rather  less  oppressive,  the 
elders  assembled  in  the  dancing-ground  attired  in  all  their 
ceremonial  finery.  This  consisted  of  voluminous  loin-cloths 
of  raphia  fibre  bordered  by  strips  of  the  same  material  ela- 
borately embroidered  in  patterns,  and  in  some  cases  orna- 
mented by  fringes  of  innumerable  small  tassels ;  around 
their  waists  they  wore  belts  covered  with  beads  or  cowrie 
shells,  and  upon  their  heads  nodded  plumes  of  gaily  coloured 
feathers.  They  carried  in  their  hands  large  iron  knives,  the 
hilts  of  which  were  of  carefully  carved  wood.  A  throng 
of  ordinary  natives  and  slaves  sat  upon  the  ground  to  watch 


202      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

the  proceedings,  forming  three  sides  of  a  square,  the  fourth 
side  being  left  for  members  of  the  royal  household.  The 
king  walked  the  hundred  yards  or  so  from  his  palace  gates 
to  the  dancing-ground  in  a  procession  formed  by  dignitaries 
attached  to  his  person,  preceded  by  an  elder  blowing  dis- 
cordant notes  upon  a  horn  made  of  the  hollowed  tusk 
of  a  young  elephant,  and  followed  by  his  wives  and  their 
attendant  women.  The  Nyimi  has  about  five-and-twenty 
wives,  but  the  number  of  women  of  the  royal  household 
present  at  the  dance  must  have  been  close  upon  a  hundred. 
The  Nyimi,  dressed  in  a  scarlet  loin-cloth  covered  with 
cowries,  huge  armlets  and  leg  coverings  of  cloth  decorated 
with  beads,  and  wearing  a  large  plume  of  crested  eagles' 
feathers,  sat  cross-legged  upon  a  dais  under  a  canopy  of 
mats,  leaning  his  back  upon  an  elephant's  tusk  planted 
point  downwards  in  the  ground.  As  soon  as  the  king 
was  seated  the  ceremonies  commenced.  Only  a  few  of 
the  people  took  part  in  the  actual  dancing,  which  to  begin 
with  consisted  in  single  individuals  executing  a  few  steps 
and  then  sitting  down,  but  later  on  groups  of  elders  danced, 
leaping  round  in  a  circle  and  brandishing  their  knives,  the 
brilliant  colours  of  their  feathers  and  costumes  making  up  a 
brilliant  picture  in  the  light  of  the  setting  sun.  Lastly,  the 
king  himself  left  his  dais  and  strutted  with  a  peculiar  stiff 
gait  around  the  ground,  amid  the  enthusiastic  cheering  of 
his  people,  preceded  by  an  elder  who  carefully  removed  any 
sticks  or  other  small  obstacles  from  his  path.  The  elder 
who  performs  this  duty  possesses  a  title  and  occupies  a  high 
position  in  the  court.  We  had  been  given  places  close  to 
the  dais  on  which  the  king  had  sat,  so  we  had  been  able  to 


AT   THE   COURT   OF  AN   AFRICAN   KING    203 

obtain  a  splendid  view  of  the  proceedings,  and  had  found 
out  from  natives  sitting  near  us  who  were  the  numerous 
officials  taking  part  in  the  dance.  We  witnessed  several 
dances  similar  to  the  one  I  have  described,  and  were  much 
struck  with  the  manner  of  the  king  when  he  talked  to  the 
dignitaries  who  performed  in  them.  He  would  walk  about 
among  the  elders  nodding  to  one,  speaking  earnestly  to 
another,  cracking  a  joke  with  a  third,  evidently  taking  care 
to  avoid  giving  offence  by  talking  to  one  more  than  to 
another  or  by  omitting  to  greet  any  particular  councillor 
who  might  be  present.  The  countenances  of  the  old  aristo- 
crats to  whom  he  spoke  showed  clearly  in  what  respect 
they  hold  their  king,  and  how  a  word  from  him  is  held 
to  be  an  honpur  to  the  man  to  whom  it  is  addressed. 
But  if  the  big  ceremonial  dances  are  interesting  and  even 
beautiful  to  look  at,  there  is  another  ceremony,  in  which 
only  one  man  takes  part  in,  that  is  much  more  interesting. 
It  is  a  ghost  dance.  Many  years  ago  a  henpecked  chief 
devised  a  plan  for  frightening  his  wives  into  obedience  by 
disguising  himself  as  a  fearsome  ghost. 

That  is  the  origin  of  the  ceremony  which  is  still  gone 
through  periodically  by  the  present  king  of  the  Bushongo. 
He  tells  his  wives  that  he  is  going  to  visit  a  neighbouring 
village  and  will  be  absent  all  day.  He  then  secretly  retires 
into  a  hut  near  the  royal  dwelling  and  dresses  himself  in 
garments  made  of  raphia  fibre  covered  with  cowrie  shells  ; 
no  part  of  his  person  is  exposed  to  view  when  he  is  arrayed 
in  this  dress,  and  he  even  wears  on  his  head  a  carved 
wooden  mask  rendered  hideous  by  the  application  of  red 
dye,  to  the  top  of  which  is  affixed  a  huge  fan-shaped  plume 


204      LAND   AND    PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

of  eagles'  feathers.  Thus  attired  he  walks  around  the 
village  accompanied  by  yelling  crowds  and  preceded  by 
drummers.  Every  now  and  then  he  pauses  in  his  prome- 
nade and  indulges  in  a  wild  dance,  leaping  furiously  up  and 
down  and  violently  shaking  himself.  Overcome  by  these 
exertions,  which,  overpowered  as  he  is  by  a  mass  of  heavy 
clothing,  must  be  most  exhausting  during  the  heat  of  a 
tropical  afternoon,  he  breathlessly  sinks  on  to  a  stool  and 
is  fanned  by  his  attendant  courtiers  while  he  takes  a  few 
moments'  repose.  At  the  conclusion  of  his  tour  of  the 
village,  he  is  placed  (often  together  with  one  or  more  of 
his  little  sons)  in  a  large  wooden  box  fitted  with  carrying 
poles,  in  which  he  is  borne  shoulder  high  about  the  village 
by  the  populace,  even  grave-faced  old  warriors  fighting  for 
the  honour  of  carrying  the  royal  burden.  The  fact  that 
the  king's  feet  are  covered  during  the  dance  and  that  he  is 
carried  in  the  box  are  interesting  survivals  of  a  custom  now 
no  longer  observed.  In  former  times  (even  until  quite 
recent  years)  the  king  of  the  Bushongo  was  never  allowed 
to  touch  the  ground  !  Whenever  he  wished  to  move  he 
was  carried,  and  whenever  he  desired  to  sit  down  he  sat 
upon  a  slave  !  Even  nowadays  should  the  Nyimi  wish  to 
sit,  a  slave  will  throw  himself  upon  his  hands  and  knees  to 
form  a  chair  for  his  master ;  and  if  when  sitting  upon  an 
ordinary  chair  or  stool  the  king  stretches  out  his  leg,  a 
slave  will  usually  interpose  his  own  foot  between  his 
master's  foot  and  the  ground.  There  is  exhibited  in  the 
Ethnographical  Gallery  of  the  British  Museum  an  enlarged 
photograph  of  Kwete  sitting  upon  a  slave  in  the  manner 
I  have  described.     The  person  of  the  Nyimi  is  considered 


AT   THE   COURT   OF   AN  AFRICAN   KING    205 

sacred,  for  he  is  believed  to  be  the  direct  descendant  of  God. 
As  a  matter  of  fact  the  present  king  is  the  one  hundred  and 
twenty-first  ruler  of  his  dynasty  to  occupy  the  Bushongo 
throne.  The  succession  to  the  kingship  is  in  the  female 
line.  Torday  was  able  to  obtain  precise  information  as  to 
the  names  of  all  the  Bushongo  kings,  for  the  king  himself 
is  obliged  to  know  the  names  of  all  his  predecessors,  and 
there  is,  too,  a  court  dignitary  whose  duty  it  is  to  carry  the 
history  of  the  people  in  his  head,  and  many  of  the  elders  of 
the  Mushenge  pride  themselves  upon  their  historical  know- 
ledge. Torday  checked  the  statements  of  all  these  infor- 
mants in  every  way  that  he  could  think  of  and  found  no 
discrepancy  in  them.  The  work  of  compiling  the  history 
of  the  people,  and  of  writing  down  and  considering  the 
various  legends  which  bear  upon  it,  constituted  the  greater 
part  of  his  labours  at  the  Mushenge. 

From  the  legends,  as  well  as  from  certain  evidence  in 
the  culture  of  the  people,  Torday  has  been  able  to  deter- 
mine that,  many  centuries  ago,  the  Bushongo  migrated  from 
the  north,  possibly  from  the  Shari  River.  It  is  not  my 
purpose  here  to  discuss  the  history  of  this  remarkable  tribe, 
nor  to  relate  their  legends ;  it  would  take  a  whole  volume 
to  do  justice  to  the  subject,  and  Torday  has,  in  collaboration 
with  Mr.  T.  A.  Joyce  of  the  British  Museum,  already  pub- 
lished the  scientific  results  of  our  visit  to  their  country ; 
but  I  mention  these  matters  to  show  how  extraordinarily 
complete  are  the  traditions  of  the  Bushongo,  a  people  to 
whom  writing,  of  course,  is  unknown,  and  who  possess  no 
record  of  their  history  other  than  that  handed  down  from 
generation  to  generation,  and  retained  in  the  memories  of 


2o6      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

the  elders.  One  figure  looms  large  in  Bushongo  history — 
that  of  the  King  Shamba  Bolongongo,  the  greatest  of  their 
national  heroes.  This  chief  ruled  at  the  time  when  his  tribe 
was  at  the  zenith  of  its  power,  and  he  appears  to  have  been 
a  remarkably  enlightened  king.  In  his  young  days  he 
travelled  widely  to  the  west,  even  reaching  as  far  as  the 
Kancha  River ;  and  in  thinking  of  this  journey  one  must 
remember  that  before  the  arrival  of  the  European  in  Africa 
the  natives  practically  never  left  the  territory  of  their  own 
tribes,  and  rarely  knew  more  of  the  country  around  them 
than  could  be  visited  in  a  day's  march,  Shamba's  journey, 
therefore,  was  a  very  extraordinary  one.  Furthermore,  he 
travelled  with  his  eyes  open,  and  introduced  among  the 
Bushongo  on  his  return  many  innovations  which  had  struck 
him  as  useful  during  his  wanderings.  At  the  commence- 
ment of  the  seventeenth  century  this  negro  chief  had  ideas 
so  advanced  that  he  issued  an  order  forbidding  his  troops 
to  take  more  life  in  war  than  was  absolutely  necessary, 
and  instructing  them  to,  where  possible,  gain  their  victories 
by  temporarily  disabling  their  enemies.  Until  one  has 
visited  Central  Africa,  and  to  some  extent  studied  the 
various  tribes  with  whom  one  comes  in  contact,  it  is  hard  to 
believe  that  such  humane  and  civilised  ideas  could  have 
emanated  from  the  brain  of  a  negro  despot.  One  is  too 
apt  to  imagine  that  all  African  natives  were,  before  the 
arrival  of  the  European,  as  savage  and  as  degraded  as  are 
the  Bankutu  of  the  great  forest.  The  Bushongo  offer  a 
striking  proof  to  the  contrary.  Another  curious  custom 
introduced  by  Shamba  is  that  of  never  carrying  a  knife 
when  there  is  no  moon  ;  it  is  forbidden  by  the  tribal  law  to 


AT   THE   COURT   OF   AN   AFRICAN   KING    207 

do  so.  This  rule  was  no  doubt  found  necessary  to  keep 
down  treacherous  murders  in  the  darkness,  and  it  has  given 
rise  to  the  habit  of  wearing  a  wooden  imitation  of  a  knife 
stuck  into  the  girdle  when  the  moon  is  not  shining,  for  the 
youth  of  the  Mushenge  would  not  consider  his  costume 
complete  without  something  in  his  belt.  When  confronted 
with  a  long  list  of  chiefs  it  is  very  difficult  to  fix  with  any 
certainty  the  dates  at  which  any  one  of  them  sat  upon  the 
throne.  It  is  quite  possible,  for  instance,  that  two  or  three 
kings  may,  in  troublous  times,  have  succeeded  one  another 
in  the  course  of  a  single  year.  In  the  case  of  Shamba,  how- 
ever, Torday  was  able  to  fix  his  date  at  the  commencement 
of  the  seventeenth  century  with  certainty,  as  during  the 
reign  of  his  successor  there  occurred  a  total  eclipse  of  the 
sun,  a  phenomenon  which  is  duly  remembered  as  an  inci- 
dent in  Bushongo  history.  Shamba's  words  are  still  quoted 
upon  many  occasions  by  the  people  of  his  tribe,  and  he 
appears  to  have  made  many  trite  remarks  which  have 
become  proverbs.  "To  every  man  his  wife,  to  every  dog 
his  bone,  and  you  will  have  peace  in  the  village,"  is  an 
example  of  one  of  these  sayings. 

At  the  time  of  Shamba,  Bushongo  art  had  reached  a  very 
high  standard.  The  Nyimi  one  day  showed  to  us  the 
statues  of  former  kings  about  which  Captain  Thesiger  had 
spoken,  and  among  which  was  a  portrait  of  Shamba.  This 
was  a  wonderful  piece  of  wood-carving,  one  of  the  finest 
examples  of  Bushongo  work  that  we  came  across,  and  it  is 
no  exaggeration  to  say  that  the  figure  bears  quite  a  re- 
semblance in  the  face  to  the  descendant  to  Shamba  who 
occupies  the  throne  to-day.     The  statue  is  in  the  British 


2o8      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

Museum,  so  is  the  photograph  of  the  present  Nyimi — my 
readers  can  observe  the  likeness  for  themselves.  The  pur- 
chase of  this  statue  was  one  of  the  most  difficult  things  that 
Torday  accomplished  during  his  journey  in  the  Kasai.  It 
not  only  belonged  to  the  nation,  and  so  was  not  the  personal 
property  of  the  king,  but  it  was  regarded  with  the  greatest 
reverence  by  the  natives.  Some  objects  are  held  very  sacred 
by  the  Bushongo.  For  example,  there  exists  an  ivory 
trumpet  which  led  to  a  serious  war  because  a  visitor  from 
another  village  made  a  scratch  upon  it  with  his  finger  when 
examining  it.  The  statues,  four  in  number,  of  the  heroes 
which  the  Nyimi  showed  to  us  were  regarded  with  a  respect 
similar  to  that  accorded  to  the  trumpet.  We  were,  of 
course,  most  anxious  to  secure  these  wonderful  specimens 
of  carving  for  the  National  Museum,  but  at  first  it  seemed 
highly  improbable  that  we  should  succeed  in  doing  so. 
Torday  commenced  by  tactfully  sounding  the  Nyimi  as  to 
whether  he  would  be  much  opposed  to  the  sale  of  these 
treasures,  and  rather  to  our  surprise  we  learned  that  he 
would  not.  He  had  fully  understood  what  Torday  had 
told  him  about  the  uses  of  the  Museum  as  a  treasure-house 
for  such  objects,  and  he  was  content  that  the  statues  of  his 
ancestors  should  find  a  permanent  home  in  it.  "  I  would 
sell  them  to  you  if  they  were  mine,"  he  said,  "  but  if  I 
suggest  such  a  thing  to  my  councillors  they  will  immedi- 
ately oppose  the  idea.  You  must  talk  to  the  elders  your- 
self, and  tell  them  that  I  do  not  wish  to  let  the  statues  go ; 
then,  in  their  usual  spirit  of  contrariness,  they  may  desire  to 
sell  them."  Torday  thereupon  proceeded  to  win  over  the 
elders.     This   necessitated   a  good  deal  of  expenditure  of 


The  statue  oi'  Sha.mka  Boi.ONn;oxGO 

(N(i\V    IN    THE    BkITISH    Wl.sEL'.m). 


AT   THE   COURT   OF  AN  AFRICAN   KING   209 

trade  goods  in  presents  to  the  various  dignitaries  who  would 
have  a  voice  in  the  matter  of  the  sale,  and  occupied  a  con- 
siderable time,  for  each  councillor  had  to  be  interviewed 
separately  and  in  secret  when  Torday  discussed  this  all- 
important  question.  Eventually,  owing  to  Torday's  per- 
suasive powers,  and  to  the  fact  that  our  interest  in  their 
customs  had  caused  the  elders  to  take  a  liking  to  us,  all  the 
dignitaries  concerned  agreed  to  use  their  influence  with  the 
king  to  induce  him  to  sell  us  the  statues. 

At  a  solemn  gathering  of  the  elders  the  matter  was 
discussed.  The  Nyimi  told  us  afterwards  that  he  had  let 
it  appear  that  he  was  not  desirous  of  parting  with  the 
treasures,  but  when  the  council  had  urged  him  to  do  so  in 
order  that  all  the  world  might  see  and  marvel  at  them  in 
the  museum  he  had  agreed  to  let  them  go  too,  and  the 
question  of  price  was  then  raised.  The  price  demanded  for 
the  first  statue  was  a  very  high  one,  to  be  paid  mainly  in  a 
kind  of  dark  red  cloth  which  we  could  purchase  from  the 
Kasai  Company,  but  we  could  not  let  such  an  opportunity 
go  by  of  securing  so  important  an  object,  and  v/ere,  there- 
fore, obliged  to  pay  what  was  asked.  As  time  went  on 
Torday  managed,  by  the  same  means,  to  secure  all  the  four 
statues  that  we  had  seen,  three  of  which  are  now  on  view  at 
the  museum.  They  are,  I  believe,  considered  by  scientists 
to  be  some  of  the  most  remarkable  objects  of  native  manu- 
facture that  have  been  brought  out  of  Central  Africa. 

It  may  seem  rather  like  vandalism  to  deprive  the 
Bushongo  people  of  the  statues  to  which  such  importance 
is  attached — it  seemed  so  to  us  at  the  time — but  when  one 
remembers  that  the  respect  with  which  they  are  regarded 

o 


21  o      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE    KASAI 

will,  as  the  inevitable  change  in  native  customs  and  beliefs 
following  upon  the  introduction  of  European  ideas  gradually 
spreads  over  the  dark  continent,  slowly,  perhaps,  but  surely 
fade  away  until  the  statues,  if  left  at  the  Mushenge,  would 
have  come  to  be  looked  upon  as  valueless,  one  cannot  help 
thinking  that  it  is  better  that  such  objects  should  be  per- 
manently preserved  in  a  place  where  they  are  appreciated, 
and  where  they  run  the  smallest  risk  of  damage  or  destruc- 
tion. If  left  in  the  care  of  the  Nyimi  such  things  are 
constantly  exposed  to  the  danger  of  loss  by  fire  or  damage 
by  white  ants ;  in  years  to  come  they  would  very  likely 
have  been  given  away  to  any  casual  traveller  when  the 
Bushongo  had  ceased  to  care  about  them,  and  thus  perhaps 
be  lost  for  ever.  As  it  is  they  are  safe ;  and  I  do  not 
think  that  we  can  reproach  ourselves  for  putting  them  in  a 
place  of  safety.  We  collected  in  the  Mushenge  a  large 
number  of  other  objects  illustrative  of  Bushongo  art,  in- 
cluding some  very  fine  specimens  of  the  velvet-like  pile 
cloth  made  of  raphia  fibre  and  embroidered  with  many 
curious  patterns,  each  of  which  has  its  meaning  and  its 
name. 

Among  the  many  pieces  of  elaborate  wood-carving  that 
we  purchased  were  some  very  curious  "  divining  "  instru- 
ments, by  means  of  which  crimes  are  brought  home  to  their 
perpetrators  by  a  fetish-man.  These  instruments  consisted 
of  models  of  crocodiles,  rather  conventional  in  shape,  about 
a  foot  in  length,  hewn  from  solid  wood  and  ornamented 
with  carefully  carved  patterns  upon  the  sides  ;  the  backs  of 
the  creatures  are  flat.  The  method  of  using  the  diviner  is 
as  follows  : — When  a   man  has   lost  something  which  he 


AT   THE   COURT   OF   AN   AFRICAN   KING   211 

thinks  may  have  been  stolen,  he  goes  to  the  fetish-man  and, 
after  paying  him  a  fee,  for  the  services  of  the  magician  are 
never  given  for  nothing,  requests  him  to  find  out  the  name 
of  the  thief.  The  divining  instrument  is  then  produced, 
and  the  fetish-man  commences  to  rub  its  flat  back  with  a 
small  wooden  disc,  repeating,  as  he  does  so,  the  names  of 
every  one  who  might  possibly  be  the  guilty  party.  When 
the  name  of  the  culprit  is  mentioned,  the  disc  refuses  to  be 
moved  along  the  crocodile*s  back,  thereby  indicating  the 
person  to  whom  the  poison  test  is  to  be  applied.  If  after 
swallowing  the  poison  the  suspect  does  not  die,  he  is  paid 
heavy  damages  by  the  man  who  has  caused  him  to  undergo 
the  ordeal  by  suggesting  his  name  to  the  wizard  as  the 
possible  thief.  If  he  dies — well,  he  was  guilty,  and  there  is 
one  thief  less  among  the  Bushongo. 

We  secured  a  number  of  carved  pieces  of  tukula,  the 
meaning  of  which  we  were  for  some  time  at  a  loss  to  under- 
stand. We  discovered  that  when  a  man  dies  it  is  usual  for 
his  widows  to  distribute  these  objects  among  his  relations 
and  intimate  friends  as  souvenirs  of  the  deceased,  a  custom 
which  resembles  very  closely  the  old  English  habit  of  giving 
away  mourning  rings.  The  death  of  a  Court  dignitary  and 
the  investiture  of  his  successor  gives  occasion  for  a  lot  of 
ceremonial.  During  our  stay  at  the  capital  an  important 
functionary,  whose  duties  resemble  those  of  a  herald,  died, 
and  the  king  ordered  a  mourning  dance  to  be  held  in  honour 
of  his  memory.  This  dance,  which  was  not  in  the  least 
mournful,  was  similar  to  the  dances  so  frequently  held  at  the 
Mushenge,  and  consisted  of  a  number  of  gorgeously  arrayed 
elders  dancing  round   in  a   circle,   brandishing   their  great 


212      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

ceremonial  knives.  The  body  of  the  dead  herald  was  in  the 
meantime  lying  in  state  in  a  shed  specially  erected  for  the 
purpose  in  the  bush,  a  hundred  yards  or  so  outside  the 
village.  It  was  encased  in  a  coffin  made  of  mats,  and  was 
guarded  by  the  dead  man's  female  relatives.  Eventually  his 
lying-in-state  became  almost  intolerable  to  any  one  living 
close  at  hand,  for  many  days  elapsed  before  the  corpse  was 
buried,  but  it  gave  us  an  opportunity  of  observing  the 
funeral  rites  of  the  Bushongo. 

I  have  alluded  so  often  to  the  courtiers  of  the  Nyimxi 
and  to  his  council  that  I  ought  to  give  my  readers  some  idea 
of  the  composition  of  the  king's  household.  The  full 
number  of  dignitaries  amounts  to  about  one  hundred  and 
forty,  but  there  is  an  upper  chamber  of  a  very  few  of  the 
highest  dignitaries,  such  as  the  prime  minister  and  the  com- 
mander-in-chief of  the  warriors.  All  sorts  of  officials  make 
up  the  one  hundred  and  forty.  Heralds,  military  officers, 
magistrates,  representatives  of  outlying  districts,  a  number  of 
female  officials,  the  man  who  picks  up  obstacles  in  the 
king's  path,  the  keeper  of  the  records,  and  representatives  of 
the  various  arts  and  crafts  of  the  Bushongo,  are  but  a  few  of 
the  persons  who  hold  positions  at  Court.  The  representatives 
of  the  arts  and  crafts  are  the  heads  of  bodies  closely 
resembling  the  Guilds  of  London.  For  instance,  there 
exists  at  the  Mushenge  the  weavers,  cordwainers,  and  fish- 
mongers ;  carvers,  builders,  and  hunters  are  also  represented, 
although  the  Bushongo  are  by  no  means  famous  for  their 
skill  in  the  chase.  It  is  noteworthy  that  certain  positions  at 
Court  are  held  always  by  slaves.  Slaves  are,  as  a  rule,  well 
treated   by  the  Bushongo,   but  are  considered  very   much 


AT   THE   COURT   OF   AN   AFRICAN   KING   213 

lower  in  the  social  scale  than  their  aristocratic  masters.  We 
were  kept  very  hard  at  work  gleaning  information  about  the 
matters  to  which  I  have  briefly  alluded  in  the  foregoing 
pages  and  in  collecting  legends  and  other  items  of  interest 
to  scientists,  but  our  life,  although  full  of  interest,  was 
rendered  very  trying  by  a  foolish  mistake  about  the  for- 
warding of  our  stores.  As  I  have  said,  we  arrived  at  the 
Mushenge  with  practically  nothing  in  the  way  of  European 
comestibles,  relying  upon  receiving  a  depot  of  "  chop- 
boxes,"  as  one's  cases  of  provisions  are  termed  in  the  Congo, 
which  should  have  been  waiting  for  us  at  Luebo,  but  the 
days  grew  into  weeks  and  the  weeks  into  months  before 
they  reached  us,  having  been  left  at  Dima  by  mistake.  The 
Kasai  Company's  agent  very  kindly  sent  us  such  things  as 
he  could  spare,  but  he  himself  was  living  on  very  short 
commons,  pending  the  arrival  of  his  own  stores,  and  the 
missionaries  departed  very  soon  after  our  coming  to  form  a 
new  station  near  the  Kasai  Company's  new  hospital  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Lubue  River,  we  were  therefore  obliged  to 
exist  almost  entirely  upon  native  fare. 

"Palm  oil  chop,"  a  dish  consisting  of  cassava  dough  and 
a  chicken  cooked  in  palm  oil  flavoured  with  red  pepper,  is 
by  no  means  a  bad  breakfast  dish  taken  occasionally,  but  to 
live  on  the  stuff  is  to  learn  to  dislike  it.  In  addition  to 
this,  poultry  is  very  difficult  to  obtain  in  the  Mushenge,  so 
that  we  had  quite  frequently  to  partake  of  a  meal  of  the 
manioc  dough  without  the  chicken,  washed  down  with 
water,  for  we  soon  came  to  an  end  of  our  tea  and  coff^ee,  and 
we  carried  no  wines  with  us.  It  appears  that  during  the 
rising  of  1904,  when  the  Bushongo  deserted  their  villages. 


214     LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

the  chickens  died  in  great  numbers,  and  very  few  have  since 
been  reared,  accordingly  the  fowls  one  can  sometimes  obtain 
are  very  expensive  and  very  skinny.  Although  we  tried  to 
make  the  best  of  things,  and  to  keep  up  appearances  by 
dining  off  manioc  dough  at  a  table  faultlessly  appointed  (I 
defy  any  one  who  is  not  in  the  best  of  health  to  attack  such 
a  meal  if  it  is  badly  served  up),  the  starvation  soon  began  to 
tell  upon  us.  When  we  left  the  forest  we  were  feeling  the 
strain  of  our  journey  in  its  terrible  climate,  and  we  really 
needed  "  feeding  up,"  so  that  we  were  more  affected  by  the 
lack  of  supplies  than  we  should  have  been  earlier  in  our 
stay  in  Africa.  Torday  suffered  more  than  I  did  ;  I  escaped 
with  neuralgia  and  loss  of  strength  ;  but  one  night  Torday 
was  taken  very  seriously  ill,  his  heart  had  begun  to  feel  the 
strain.  With  nothing  whatever  in  the  way  of  comforts  at 
hand,  I  think  he  is  remarkably  fortunate  to  have  survived 
the  attack ;  for  a  night  and  a  day  I  feared  that  he  might 
succumb.  I  suppose  that  his  will  power  had  a  good  deal  to 
do  with  his  recovery,  which  was  certainly  not  due  to  the 
nourishment  that  could  be  found  for  him.  Our  clothes, 
too,  had  practically  come  to  an  end,  for  we  had  intended 
only  to  spend  six  months  in  the  basin  of  the  Sankuru,  but 
our  visit  had  extended  to  over  a  year,  and  what  with  wear 
and  tear,  and  having  to  part  with  garments  in  exchange  for 
curios,  our  wardrobes  were  reduced  to  very  scanty  propor- 
tions. I  had  no  boots.  The  ones  I  brought  up  country 
with  me,  cracked  by  constant  wettings,  followed  by  ex- 
posure to  the  scorching  sun,  were  quite  worn  out,  I  was 
therefore  obliged  to  wear  an  old  pair  of  canvas  shoes,  the 
rubber  soles  of  which  quickly  wore  into  holes,  letting  my 


AT   THE   COURT   OF  AN  AFRICAN   KING  215 

feet  through  on  to  the  ground.  It  is  remarkable  how  one 
unconsciously  avoids  treading  upon  things  that  will  hurt  one 
when  walking  in  the  rough  grass  of  the  plains  or  in  the 
woodlands ;  although  I  marched  a  good  deal  when  wearing 
these  old  shoes,  for  I  used  to  go  out  every  day  in  a  usually 
unsuccessful  search  for  guinea-fowls,  and  I  made  a  journey 
of  over  a  fortnight's  duration  to  the  north-west  of  the 
Mushenge,  I  do  not  remember  once  seriously  cutting  my 
feet. 

We  were  unlucky  in  being  at  the  Mushenge  when  our 
stores  were  delayed,  for  the  local  tobacco  is  scarcely  smokable, 
and  we  are  both  of  us  inveterate  smokers.  In  many  places 
the  natives  grow  tobacco  which,  dried  in  the  native  manner, 
is  really  not  bad,  but  the  Bushongo  cook  a  green  leaf  over  a 
fire  and  tear  it  up  and  put  it  in  their  pipes  ;  this  was  the 
only  tobacco  we  could  get  to  smoke,  and  as  it  crumbles 
when  dried  into  a  fine  powder,  it  is  almost  useless  in  a  pipe, 
and  even  when  carefully  rolled  in  fragments  of  the  weekly 
edition  of  the  Times,  it  makes  a  truly  disgusting  cigarette. 
The  Bushongo  themselves,  however,  appear  to  thoroughly 
enjoy  it.  Concerning  the  introduction  of  smoking  among 
them,  the  Bushongo  have  a  curious  legend.  Many  years 
ago  one  of  them  returned  from  a  long  journey,  and  he  was 
describing  to  his  compatriots  the  many  strange  sights  that 
he  had  seen,  when  he  produced  a  pipe  and  some  tobacco  and 
commenced  to  smoke.  His  companions  were  astounded — 
"  Look  at  the  man,"  they  cried,  "  he  is  drinking  smoke ! "  The 
traveller  then  explained  tothemwherein  thecharm  of  smoking 
lay,  and  induced  them  to  try  it.  When  they  said  that  they 
found  it  agreeable,  he  said,  "  When  you  have  a  quarrel  with 


2i6      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

your  brother,  in  your  fury  you  may  wish  to  slay  him  ;  sit  down 
and  smoke  a  pipe.  When  the  pipe  is  finished  you  will  think 
that  perhaps  death  is  too  great  a  punishment  for  your  brother's 
offences,  and  you  will  decide  to  let  him  ofFwith  a  thrashing. 
Relight  your  pipe  and  smoke  on.  As  the  smoke  curls 
upward  you  will  come  to  the  conclusion  that  a  few  hard 
words  might  take  the  place  of  blows.  Light  up  your  pipe 
once  more,  and  when  it  is  smoked  through,  you  will  go  to 
your  brother  and  ask  him  to  forget  the  past."  Living  in 
their  very  midst,  we  soon  became  friendly  with  all  the 
natives  of  the  Mushenge.  For  the  first  week  or  so  of  our 
stay  the  king  used  to  call  upon  us  and  receive  our  visits, 
attended  by  a  number  of  his  courtiers,  but  as  he  became 
better  acquainted  with  us,  he  would  visit  us  unattended,  or 
accompanied  only  by  one  or  two  intimate  friends,  and  would 
often  sit  with  us  until  far  into  the  night  discussing  his  king- 
dom or  listening  eagerly  to  everything  we  told  him  about 
Europe.  We  were  astonished  to  find  the  ruler  of  so  con- 
servative a  people  as  the  Bushongo  so  progressive  in  his 
ideas. 

He  bitterly  regretted  the  departure  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  missionaries  from  his  village.  The  priests  had 
received  orders  to  abandon  their  mission  near  the  Mushenge, 
and  to  found  a  new  station  at  Pangu,  near  the  spot  where 
the  waters  of  the  Lubue  flow  into  the  Kasai,  in  order  that 
their  medical  knowledge  might  be  turned  to  account  in 
assisting  to  nurse  the  sick  who  would  be  sent  there  to  a 
new  hospital  which  the  Kasai  Company  was  building.  No 
doubt  their  work  at  Pangu  has  been  most  useful,  and  very 
likely   several  Europeans  by  this  time  owe  their  lives  to 


AT   THE   COURT   OF   AN   AFRICAN   KING    217 

their  care,  but  I  cannot  help  thinking  that  it  is  a  thousand 
pities  that  they  ever  left  the  Mushenge.  One  of  the  two 
priests  was  a  man  who  had  spent  a  dozen  years  in  Africa, 
and  who  was  a  great  favourite  with  the  Nyimi ;  with  his 
experience,  and  the  goodwill  ot  the  king,  his  work  among 
the  Bushongo  might  have  been  wonderful.  It  may  seem 
strange  to  say  so,  but  I  do  not  think  a  missionary  could 
wish  for  a  better  field  than  that  offered  by  the  ultra- 
conservative  Bushongo,  so  long  as  the  missionary  knows 
their  history  and  their  religion  thoroughly  before  he 
attempts  to  introduce  his  own  faith  among  them.  It  is 
not  my  purpose  here  to  describe  in  detail  the  religious 
beliefs  of  the  Bushongo — Torday  has  dealt  at  length  with 
them  elsewhere ;  but  when  I  say  that  they  contain  one 
God,  the  creator,  and  a  set  of  moral  laws  of  an  extra- 
ordinarily high  character,  which  take  the  place  among  the 
Bushongo  occupied  in  Christendom  by  the  Ten  Com- 
mandments and  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  my  readers 
may  begin  to  think  that  there  is  quite  a  possibility  that 
by  tactful  management  a  missionary  might  be  able  to 
convert  the  legends  and  precepts  of  the  Bushongo  into 
those  of  Christianity.  But  such  a  work  requires  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  local  beliefs,  a  keen  insight  into  the 
native  character,  and  great  tact  combined  with  patience. 
I  have  never  been  a  missionary,  and  therefore  cannot  pre- 
tend to  be  able  to  teach  others  how  to  carry  on  their  most 
difficult  work,  but  I  do  venture  to  think  that  more  could 
be  accomplished  by  becoming  intimate  with  the  Nyimi  and 
very  gradually  bringing  to  his  notice,  and  to  the  notice  of 
his  elders,  points  of  similarity  beween  the  Christian  religion 


2i8      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

and  the  Bushongo  belief,  and  thus  slowly  letting  the  natives 
regard  the  former  as  an  amplification  of  the  latter,  than 
by  inducing  a  number  of  children,  too  young  to  have  yet 
learned  anything  of  their  tribal  religion,  to  attend  Christian 
services  in  a  mission  chapel.  The  Nyimi  is  most  anxious 
that  all  the  children  of  his  tribe  should  learn  to  read  and 
write,  and  also  that  his  people  should  learn  such  useful 
crafts  as  carpentering,  &c.  For  this  reason  he  is  anxious 
that  the  mission  should  be  re-established  near  the  Mushenge, 
and  the  man  upon  whom  the  task  of  re-establishing  it 
devolves  will  find  that  the  king  is  predisposed  in  his  favour. 
When  once  he  has  succeeded,  by  tact  and  by  the  example 
of  a  strictly  fair  and  honourable  life,  in  winning  the  affec- 
tion of  the  elders  and  the  people,  then,  I  think,  he  may 
reasonably  hope  to  be  able  to  slowly  introduce  his  real 
mission,  and  to  attempt  the  conversion  of  the  king.  But 
let  the  missionary  understand  the  native  religion  as 
thoroughly  as  he  possibly  can  before  he  tries  to  supplant 
it  with  his  own,  and  I  am  sure  that  he  will  find  many  of 
the  Bushongo  beliefs  helpful  rather  than  otherwise  in  his 
work.  If  it  is  the  duty  of  the  traveller  who,  like  Torday, 
goes  out  to  Africa  in  the  interests  of  ethnographical  science 
to  learn  what  he  can  of  native  religions,  surely  it  is  the 
duty  of  the  missionaries  to  turn  the  information  thus  gained 
to  good  account. 

There  is  an  American  Presbyterian  Mission  at  Ibanshe, 
a  few  days'  journey  to  the  south  of  the  Mushenge,  and 
another  at  Luebo  ;  the  mission  at  the  capital  itself  was 
Roman  Catholic ;  Bushongo  children  have  attended  both. 
It  seems  to  me  that  the  very  greatest  care  must  be  neces- 


AT   THE   COURT   OF   AN   AFRICAN   KING    219 

sary  to  avoid  the  work  done  by  these  two  branches  of  the 
Christian  religion  injuring  one  another's  utility.  The 
native  children  notice  difference  in  their  teaching.  I  know 
that  from  remarks  made  to  me  by  lads  who  had  received 
instruction  at  both,  and  the  youthful  Bushongo  would 
very  likely  not  be  at  all  averse  to  discovering  what  might 
appear  to  them  contradictory  ideas  in  their  doctrines ; 
this  would  act  as  a  severe  check  upon  the  progress  of 
Christianity  in  the  country.  I  think  that  not  only  might 
the  missionary  turn  to  account  the  intelligence  of  the 
Nyimi,  but  I  believe  that  a  resident  advisor  could  easily 
guide  the  king  into  the  path  of  a  very  enlightened  ruler. 
I  have  shown  that  he  is  progressive  in  his  ideas,  and  that 
his  tribal  laws  are  far  in  advance  of  any  one  would  expect 
to  in  an  African  tribe ;  I  can  also  say  that  in  character 
Kwete  is  remarkably  just.  We  came  across  several  in- 
stances of  the  fairness  with  which  he  presides  over  trials 
of  his  subjects,  one  of  which  I  may  quote  here.  We  were 
sitting  one  evening  endeavouring  to  make  ourselves  believe 
that  we  were  enjoying  a  remarkably  scanty  meal  of  cassava 
dough  and  one  skinny  chicken  about  as  big  as  an  English 
wood-pigeon,  when  we  were  startled  by  the  shrieks  of  a 
woman  arising  from  a  hut  close  at  hand.  We  hurried  to 
the  spot,  and  discovered  that  a  man  had  been  practising 
the  brutal  habit  (very  common  in  Africa)  of  putting  red 
pepper  into  his  wife's  eyes  because  she  had  in  some  way 
annoyed  him ;  the  pain  produced  by  this  diabolical  punish- 
ment must  be  terrible.  Naturally  we  were  infuriated,  and 
found  it  very  hard  to  resist  the  temptation  to  give  the 
barbarous  husband  the  thrashing  he  so  thoroughly  deserved. 


220     LAND   AND    PEOPLES   OF  THE   KASAI 

Instead  of  touching  the  man,  however,  we  decided  to  take 
him  before  his  chief.  Torday  remained  to  prevent  him 
escaping  while  I  went  round  to  see  the  Nyimi.  I  found 
him  at  his  dwelling,  and  informing  him  of  what  had 
occurred,  I  requested  him  to  at  once  put  the  scoundrel 
in  chains  and  keep  him  there  for  a  good  long  time.  "  I 
will  have  him  put  in  the  guard-room  by  the  gates  of  my 
courtyard,"  replied  the  chief,  "  but  I  cannot  put  him  in 
chains  until  I  have  heard  his  case  in  the  morning."  In  my 
anger  I  had  asked  him  to  condemn  a  man  unheard,  and 
I  had  been  rightly  snubbed  for  it.  Next  day  the  man  was 
brought  up  before  the  king  and  a  number  of  the  elders, 
Torday  appearing  as  counsel  for  the  prosecution,  and  was 
sentenced  to  three  weeks  in  chains.  "  In  chains "  simply 
meant  the  ignominy  of  having  to  sleep  in  the  guard-room, 
and  to  walk  about  in  the  daytime  with  a  rope  tied  loosely 
round  his  neck,  so  the  culprit  got  off  rather  more  easily 
than  he  deserved  ;  but  one  must  remember  that  an  act  of 
cruelty  such  as  he  had  committed  is  not  looked  upon  with 
so  much  horror  by  natives  as  by  ourselves,  and  to  judge  by 
the  number  of  women  who  came  to  Torday  after  this 
incident  to  beg  for  a  supply  of  boracic  acid  wherewith  to 
bathe  their  own  eyes  when  their  husbands  administered  red 
pepper  to  them,  such  acts  must  be  far  from  uncommon. 
A  resident  advisor  could  do  more  to  stamp  out  such  prac- 
tices as  this  and  the  trial  by  poison  ordeal  by  setting  the 
Nyimi  against  them,  than  can  be  effected  by  any  number 
of  decrees  forbidding  such  things  issued  from  Boma  or 
Brussels,  Such  an  official  might,  I  think,  do  a  lot  towards 
restoring  and  remodelling  according  to  modern  ideas  the 


AT   THE    COURT   OF   AN   AFRICAN   KING   221 

greatness  of  the  Bushongo  nation,  which  is  but  a  shadow 
of  what  it  was,  say,  a  hundred  years  ago.  The  pre- 
decessors of  Kwete  upon  the  Bushongo  throne  were  by 
no  means  all  so  enlightened  as  the  great  Shamba,  or  as 
Kwete  himself;  numerous  cruel  tyrants  ruled  the  tribe, 
men  who,  in  fits  of  savage  passion  at  some  delay  in  the 
payment  of  tribute,  have  massacred  hundreds  of  their  sub- 
jects, and  who  did  much  to  shake  the  allegiance  of  many 
of  the  remoter  districts  to  the  chief. 

Now  that  the  white  man  can  prevent  the  Nyimi  from 
taking  summary  vengeance  on  his  subjects,  even  if  he  de- 
sired to  do  so,  some  of  the  sub-tribes  of  the  Bushongo, 
mindful  of  the  deeds  of  former  days,  are  by  no  means  so 
loyal  as  are  the  inhabitants  of  the  JVlushenge,  During  our 
stay  at  the  capital  some  of  the  Bangendi,  a  portion  of  the 
tribe  living  near  the  Lubudi  River,  rose  against  their  king. 
The  Nyimi  himself  set  out  for  the  scene  of  the  disturb- 
ance, accompanied  by  a  number  of  his  troops  (Baluba  and 
Batetela  slaves  for  the  most  part),  who  were  many  of  them 
armed  with  old  muzzle-loading  guns.  During  his  absence 
messengers  were  constantly  arriving  at  the  Mushenge  from 
the  scene  of  the  disorder,  and  reports  of  severe  fighting 
were  quickly  circulated.  "  So-and-so  has  killed  three  of 
the  Bangendi  with  his  own  hand  " — "  The  king  has  sent  for 
every  man  to  join  him,  as  the  Bangendi  are  too  strong  for 
his  force  "  ;  such  rumours  kept  the  village  in  a  great  state 
of  excitement.  At  last  a  wounded  man  was  carried  home, 
and  we  were  requested  to  give  him  what  medical  attend- 
ance we  could.  The  man  had  been  shot  by  a  gun  in  the 
stomach,    and   after   a  day   or   two   he    succumbed    to   his 


222      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

injuries,  for  which  we  could  do  little  or  nothing  except 
endeavour  to  keep  his  strength  up  by  administering  to  him 
the  last  remaining  item  of  our  European  provisions — 
namely,  a  bottle  of  Bovril.  When  the  Nyimi  and  his 
men  returned  we  found  out  that  the  whole  affair  had  really 
been  remarkably  tame.  The  man  who  had  died  was  the 
only  one  of  the  king's  followers  to  be  wounded,  and  the 
Government  troops  had  appeared  upon  the  scene  before 
serious  hostilities  could  commence ;  on  their  arrival  the 
Bangendi  had  dispersed.  I  do  not  know  if  the  insurgents 
had  sustained  any  losses,  but  if  they  did,  they  could  only 
have  been  very  slight.  This  affair,  insignificant  in  itself, 
serves  to  show  that  the  unity  of  the  Bushongo  is  not  so 
firm  as  it  was,  and  with  its  unity  the  race  has  lost  much  of 
its  former  greatness. 

We  became  friendly  not  only  with  the  Nyimi  and  the 
great  dignitaries  of  his  Court,  but  with  all  classes  of  natives 
during  our  stay  at  the  Mushenge,  and  particularly  with  the 
children  ;  two  or  three  of  the  king's  little  sons,  all  under 
seven  years  of  age,  and  some  of  their  playmates  became  our 
constant  companions.  When  we  got  up  in  the  mornings  we 
would  find  the  children  waiting  outside  the  tents  eager  to 
be  allowed  to  perform  some  service  for  us,  such  as  holding 
a  mirror  while  we  shaved.  All  day  long  they  would  sit 
beside  us  in  the  shed  in  which  we  worked,  or  accompany  us 
upon  our  rambles  round  the  village,  and  at  meal-times  they 
dearly  loved  to  take  the  place  of  a  "  boy  "  and  hand  us  our 
food.  We  used  to  spend  most  of  our  spare  time  playing 
with  these  youngsters,  and  I  remember  once,  just  after  the 
death  of  the  herald  alluded  to  above,  I  returned  from  a 


Chiluken  at  the  Mushenge  imitating  a  bearded  Eurotean. 


The  Nyimi's  sons  playixo  with  our  firearms. 


AT   THE   COURT   OF   AN   AFRICAN   KING   223 

search  after  guinea-fowl  to  find  the  children  playing  the 
parts  of  dignitaries  at  a  funeral  ceremony,  in  which  Torday, 
reclining  in  his  deck-chair,  was  acting  as  the  corpse  !  The 
children  were  very  good  as  a  rule,  and  remarkably  fair  in 
all  their  games  and  disputes.  Two  of  them,  by  name  Mikope 
and  Mingi  Bengela,  who  were  bosom  friends  really,  would 
fight  just  after  we  had  partaken  of  our  midday  meal.  These 
conflicts  were  often  most  amusing,  the  blows  delivered 
(which,  by  the  way,  never  landed  upon  the  person  of  the 
adversary)  were  so  terrific  that  their  impetus  frequently 
caused  the  champion  who  dealt  them  to  sprawl  upon  the 
ground,  and  tears  of  rage  would  spring  into  the  hero's  eyes 
as,  time  after  time,  they  beat  the  air.  But  should  another 
child  attempt  to  do  anything  so  unfair  as  to  touch  either 
combatant  during  the  fray  both  Mikope  and  Mingi  Bengela, 
forgetting  their  own  differences,  would  turn  upon  the  in- 
truder and  belabour  him  as  hard  as  they  could.  As  soon 
as  one  of  these  fights  was  over  (that  is  to  say,  when  the 
combatants  were  weary  or  when  anything  else  more  exciting 
attracted  their  attention)  it  was  forgotten,  and  the  two 
gladiators  became  as  friendly  as  before  their  dispute.  During 
the  time  that  food  was  very  scarce  I  undertook  a  trip  to 
the  north-west  of  the  Mushenge,  towards  the  confluence  of 
the  Kasai  and  Sankuru,  in  the  hope  of  being  able  to  shoot 
some  game  and  send  the  meat  back  to  Torday,  for  at  this 
time  several  European  travellers  were  expected  at  the 
capital,  including  a  Belgian  journalist,  a  military  officer, 
and  Colonel  Chaltin,  famous  in  the  Arab  wars,  who  had 
recently  become  director  of  the  Kasai  Company.  I  stayed 
in  several  small  villages  in  a  thickly-wooded  country,  where 


2  24      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

I  tried  to  obtain  an  elephant.  The  natives  told  me  that 
the  forest  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Sankuru  is  rapidly  spread- 
ing southwards  towards  the  Mushenge,  and  I  was  shown 
several  places  now  clothed  thickly  with  young  woods  which 
had  been  open  country  in  the  memory  even  of  natives 
of  about  twenty-five  years  of  age.  Elephants  are  fairly 
numerous  in  this  country,  but  I  was  never  able  to  obtain 
one.  They  pass  their  time  in  the  low-lying  part  of  the 
woodlands,  which  is  mostly  submerged  and  in  which  the 
undergrowth  is  so  dense  as  to  render  a  very  near  approach 
necessary  before  even  so  large  a  beast  as  an  elephant  can  be 
seen,  and  when  one  is  continually  slipping  about  on  roots 
concealed  from  view  by  the  water  one  can  scarcely  hope  to 
get  very  near  to  a  beast  without  attracting  his  attention. 
Upon  the  only  occasion  when  I  did  really  believe  that  I 
should  succeed  in  bagging  an  elephant  the  native  that 
accompanied  me  got  such  a  bad  attack  of  nerves  that  he 
bolted,  making  off  in  one  direction  while  the  elephant  retired 
hurriedly  in  another,  and  leaving  me  to  follow  him  as  best 
I  could  through  a  forest  swamp  with  darkness  rapidly 
coming  on.  I  had  no  choice  but  to  follow  the  man,  for  the 
whole  country  was  under  water,  often  as  deep  as  one's 
waist,  and  I  knew  that  I  should  have  very  little  chance  of 
getting  out  of  the  woods  at  all  if  I  allowed  my  companion 
to  get  out  of  sight  or  earshot.  After  several  unsuccessful 
attempts  to  get  an  elephant  I  realised  that  I  was  wasting 
time  and  sending  Torday  nothing  to  eat,  so  I  turned  my 
attention  to  some  buffalo  which  I  heard  were  to  be  found 
m  a  clearing  near  a  tiny  village  called  Ikwembe.  Ikwembe 
was  a  miserable  place,  consisting  of  only  about  ten  extremely 


AT   THE   COURT   OF   AN   AFRICAN   KING    225 

dilapidated  huts,  and  the  natives,  who  had  probably  never 
received  a  white  man  to  stay  in  their  village  before,  did  not 
seem  particularly  pleased  to  see  me.  They  were  not  in  the 
least  hostile,  of  course,  for  they  knew  that  I  travelled  under 
the  protection  of  the  king,  but  I  received  a  very  poor 
welcome.  Upon  my  explaining  that  I  wished  to  shoot  a 
buffalo,  the  chief,  a  very  old  man  with  a  deformed  leg, 
in  which  the  knee  would  seem  to  have  been  dislocated  in 
early  youth  and  never  put  into  place  again,  with  the  result 
that  the  limb  had  not  grown  properly,  informed  me  that  a 
herd  of  these  animals  habitually  fed  close  to  the  village, 
and  that  his  people  would  show  me  where  to  search  for 
them.  Just  as  the  sun  was  nearing  the  horizon,  and  I  was 
endeavouring  to  secure  a  guinea-fowl  for  my  supper,  a 
native  came  hurrying  to  call  me,  having  seen  five  buffalo  in 
the  clearing.  When  I  returned,  bringing  with  me  the  head 
of  one  of  the  beasts,  I  began  to  be  regarded  as  a  welcome 
guest,  for  the  Bushongo  are  not  keen  enough  hunters  to 
often  succeed  in  killing  buffaloes  themselves.  At  dawn  I 
sent  off  my  six  men  (all  the  porters  I  had,  for  I  was  travel- 
ling with  practically  no  baggage)  to  carry  the  meat  to  the 
Mushenge,  of  course  presenting  the  inhabitants  of  Ikwembe 
with  their  share,  and  in  the  evening  I  again  found  the 
buffaloes  and  bagged  another.  On  my  return  to  Ikwembe 
the  old  chief  formally  requested  me  never  to  leave  his 
village  !  After  a  few  days,  however,  in  the  course  of  which 
I  added  nothing  but  a  duiker  to  my  bag,  my  popularity 
began  to  wane.  Unfortunately  much  of  the  meat  that  I 
sent  back  to  Torday  was  bad  betore  it  reached  him,  for  I 
had  had  to  wander  some  distance  from  the  capital  to  find 

p 


226      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

any  game  at  all.  The  buffaloes  I  shot  at  Ikwembe  appear 
to  be  "  Congo  buffaloes,"  the  bos  caffer  nanus  of  naturalists, 
and  I  should  think  they  were  larger  than  the  animals  whose 
tracks  I  had  seen  in  the  great  forest.  The  bulls  are  rather 
darker  in  colour  than  the  mounted  specimen  of  a  "  Congo 
buffalo "  from  Nigeria  in  the  Natural  History  Museum, 
Cromwell  Road.  Of  other  game  there  are  very  few  species, 
bush-buck  and  duiker  representing  the  antelope  family  here 
as  in  most  of  the  districts  we  visited,  while  the  ubiquitous 
red  pig  is  to  be  found  in  the  forests.  On  the  whole  my 
shooting  trip,  though  very  enjoyable  and  affording  me  an 
opportunity  of  seeing  something  of  the  country  and  the 
Bushongo  other  than  the  courtiers  of  the  king,  was  not  very 
profitable  as  regards  the  amount  of  meat  sent  back  to  the 
Mushenge. 

In  the  course  of  his  investigations  into  the  history  of 
the  Bushongo,  Torday  elicited  some  information  which 
enabled  him  to  form  a  theory  as  to  the  origin  of  the 
Bashilele,  a  people  whom  I  have  mentioned  in  an  earlier 
chapter  as  attacking  the  official  in  charge  of  Basongo,  near 
the  confluence  of  the  Kasai  and  the  Sankuru.  From  what 
the  Nyimi  told  him  he  came  to  the  conclusion  that  these 
people  and  their  western  neighbours,  hitherto  known  to  us 
as  the  Tukongo,  must  be  really  a  branch  of  the  Bushongo 
stock.  Before  leaving  Europe  Torday  had  conceived  a 
great  desire  to  visit  the  hitherto  unexplored  country  between 
Kasai  and  its  tributary  the  Loange  where  dwell  these  two 
tribes,  and  now  it  seemed  to  him  that,  in  order  to  complete 
his  study  of  the  Bushongo,  it  was  imperative  that  we  should 
make  a  determined  effort  to  get  into  touch  with  the  peoples 


AT   THE    COURT    OF   AN   AFRICAN   KING    227 

whom  he  believed  to  be  their  kinsmen.  We  learned  that 
the  word  "  Tukongo,"  which  figures  on  many  maps,  is 
really  a  misnomer,  like  the  word  "  Bakuba,"  and  that  the 
natives  of  the  Loange  region  call  themselves  Bakongo,  by 
which  name  in  future  I  shall  refer  to  them.  They  are  not, 
however,  to  be  confused  with  the  other  Bakongo  who  inhabit 
the  lower  Congo  near  the  coast,  with  whom  they  are  in  no 
way  connected. 

The  Bashilele  and  Bakongo  bore  a  bad  reputation. 
They  had  burnt  a  factory  belonging  to  the  Kasai  Company 
on  the  banks  of  the  Upper  Kasai ;  they  had  repulsed  with 
considerable  losses  two  military  expeditions  directed  across 
their  country  from  the  East ;  and  in  the  North  they  con- 
tinually snipe  at  the  soldiers  and  porters  whenever  the  white 
officer  commanding  at  Basongo  endeavours  to  penetrate 
inland  from  the  river  bank.  This  much  is  true :  the  Bashi- 
lele and  Bakongo  must  plead  guilty  to  this  ;  but  with  these 
facts  to  go  upon  imaginative  persons  had  endowed  the  tribes 
with  a  truly  terrible  reputation.  They  were  cannibals  of 
the  most  debased  type,  treacherous  and  warlike ;  their 
country  consisted  of  dense  forest,  in  which  even  a  strong 
escort  would  be  at  the  mercy  of  the  natives.  All  the  white 
men  to  whom  we  had  mentioned  our  desire  to  visit  the 
country  between  the  Loange  and  the  Kasai  had  been  fully 
convinced  that  if  we  once  succeeded  in  entering  the  un- 
known tract  we  should  never  be  seen  again  ;  but  the  king  of 
the  Bushongo,  whose  opinion  we  regarded  as  of  more  value 
than  those  of  Europeans,  considered  it  quite  possible  that  it 
once  we  could  establish  friendly  relations  with  outlying 
villages  of  either  the  Bakongo  or  Bashilele  tribes,  we  might 


228      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

reasonably  hope  to  be  able  to  cross  their  territory.  Torday 
therefore  decided  to  proceed  to  the  Kwilu  River,  where  he 
had  previously  carried  on  a  great  deal  of  research  work 
among  the  natives,  and  to  attempt  to  march  overland  from 
the  Kwilu  River  to  the  Upper  Kasai,  thereby  connecting  the 
work  he  had  done  on  the  Kwilu  with  that  which  he  had 
now  accomplished  in  the  region  of  the  Sankuru.  It  was, 
therefore,  with  this  somewhat  ambitious  plan  in  our  mind 
that  we  left  the  Mushenge  at  Christmas  1908,  after  nearly 
four  months  of  interesting  work  at  the  court  of  the  Nyimi, 
and  returning  to  the  Sankuru  at  Bolombo,  descended  the 
river  by  steamer  to  the  Kasai  Company's  headquarters  at 
Dima. 


CHAPTER   VII 

UP   THE   KWILU   RIVER 

A  STAY  of  about  ten  days  in  DIma,  coupled  with  the  luxury 
of  regular  meals  and  a  plentiful  supply  of  fresh  vegetables, 
soon  put  us  upon  the  highroad  to  recovery  from  the  feeling 
of  lassitude  naturally  resulting  from  the  period  of  semi- 
starvation  through  which  we  had  passed  at  the  Mushenge, 
and  the  return  to  strength,  together  with  the  knowledge 
that  we  were  about  to  embark  upon  an  interesting  and  pos- 
sibly exciting  journey,  soon  filled  us  with  eagerness  to  be  up 
and  doing.  We  accordingly  hurried  forward  the  packing 
and  despatch  of  a  goodly  number  of  cases  for  the  British 
Museum,  and  rearranged  the  provisions  which  had  been 
waiting  for  us  in  Dima,  and  were  still  in  perfect  condition, 
ready  for  a  start  to  the  Kwilu.  This  time  we  included  in 
our  baggage  a  box  of  toys  which  had  recently  arrived  from 
Europe.  Among  these  were  "  Zulu  "  dolls  with  movable 
arms  and  legs,  golliwog  dolls,  china  animals,  and  last,  but  not 
least,  two  clockwork  elephants  which  would  walk  and  move 
their  trunks ;  one  of  these  two  latter  was  destined  to  play 
an  important  part  in  our  passage  from  the  Kwilu  to  the 
Kasai.  Dima  itself,  as  I  have  already  mentioned,  had  con- 
siderably improved  since  our  arrival  in  November  1907. 
The  Government  had  recently  come  to  the  conclusion  that 

the  place  was  sufficiently  important  to  render  the  establish- 

229 


230      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

ment  of  a  post-office  desirable,  and  the  official  in  charge  of 
it,  a  native  of  Lagos,  arrived  during  our  stay  there.  This 
was  of  considerable  convenience  to  us,  as  we  were  able,  with 
some  frequency,  to  replenish  our  stock  of  stamps  and  also 
to  despatch  registered  letters,  containing  the  ethnographical 
information  collected,  far  more  easily  than  was  the  case  when 
we  had  to  send  all  such  to  Leopoldville  for  registration. 
During  this  visit  to  Dima  we  saw  a  great  deal  of  Colonel 
Chaltin,  who  showed  us  great  hospitality.  With  his  wide 
experience  of  life  in  almost  every  part  of  the  Congo  State, 
he  had  naturally  much  information  to  impart  concerning 
the  opening  up  of  many  districts,  of  the  earlier  days  of  the 
State,  and  particularly  of  the  Arab  wars,  in  which  he  had 
served  with  much  distinction,  and  in  which  he  had  been 
seriously  wounded.  The  Colonel,  however,  was  by  no  means 
ready  to  tell  stories  of  the  past  or  to  relate  his  own  expe- 
riences upon  his  expedition  to  the  Nile  at  the  time  of 
the  Mahdist  rising,  when  directly  asked  to  do  so  ;  often, 
however,  the  mention  of  some  place  or  of  some  man's  name 
would  recall  old  memories  to  him  and  lead  him  to  recount 
some  of  his  adventures.  He  has  a  splendid  way  of  telling 
his  stories,  simply  yet  clearly,  and  with  so  much  feeling  that 
one  can  almost  imagine  oneself  taking  part  in  the  stirring 
incidents  which  he  describes.  It  is  far  from  my  purpose  to 
relate  any  of  his  stories  here  ;  we  suggested  to  him  that  he 
should  some  day  publish  an  account  of  what  he  has  done 
and  seen  Should  he  not  do  so  the  history  of  the  advance 
of  European  influence  in  Central  Africa  will  lose  a  most 
important  chapter,  for  few  men  have  travelled  so  widely  in 
the  Congo  as  Colonel  Chaltin,  and  very  few  men  are  now 


UP  THE   KWILU   RIVER  231 

living  who  have  personally  known,  as  he  has,  so  many  of 
the  early  pioneers.  Having  been  quartered  upon  the  Nile, 
the  Colonel  has  met  many  British  officers,  travellers,  and 
officials,  of  whose  exploits  he  has  much  to  tell,  and  among 
whom  he  has  many  friends.  The  men  who  served  in  the 
Congo  in  the  early  nineties  have  many  of  them  succumbed 
to  the  climatic  conditions  and  the  privations  which  their 
work  entailed  ;  in  fact,  when,  in  recalling  his  adventures 
in  the  past,  the  Colonel  mentioned  names  of  Europeans 
quite  eight  times  out  often,  he  would  remark  parenthetically, 
"he  is  dead  now."  In  the  old  days  the  death-rate  among 
the  Europeans  must  have  been  far  greater  than  it  is  now, 
for  they  had  none  of  the  advantages  of  regular  steamship 
service  nor  the  many  little  luxuries  and  conveniences  in  the 
way  of  stores  and  equipment  which  now  render  the  life  of 
an  African  traveller  a  comparatively  easy  one.  One  import- 
ant point  I  noticed  when  Colonel  Chaltin  was  relating  his 
experiences,  upon  almost  every  occasion,  and  they  were 
many,  when  he  mentioned  a  deed  performed  by  some  native 
soldier,  he  gave  not  only  the  rank,  but  also  the  name  and 
tribe  of  the  man ;  it  seems  to  me  that  to  be  served  well  by 
African  natives,  were  one  to  be  an  officer  in  command  of 
troops  or  merely  a  traveller,  it  is  essential  that  one  should 
personally  know  and  be  known  by  one's  men.  The  import- 
ance of  this  is,  I  have  thought,  often  overlooked. 

Our  plans  for  the  remainder  of  our  journey  now  began 
to  take  a  definite  shape.  Before  recommencing  our  ethno- 
graphical work  we  decided  to  take  a  three  weeks'  rest  cure 
in  the  form  of  shooting  on  the  lower  Kwilu  ;  after  this  we 
should  ascend  that  river  as  far  as  Kikwit.    At  Dima  we  met 


232      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

an  agent  of  the  Kasai  Company  named  M.  Gentil,  who  had 
recently  founded  a  factory  called  Kandale  upon  the  upper 
Kwilu,  about  six  days  south-east  of  Kikwit.  He  had  travelled 
a  good  distance  to  the  south  of  his  post,  and  had  produced 
some  excellent  plane-table  maps  of  his  region.  In  the  course 
of  his  wanderings  in  the  south  he  had  come  into  contact 
with  a  number  of  Badjok  traders  from  near  the  Angola 
frontier  with  whom  he  had  established  most  friendly  rela- 
tions. Some  of  these  people  had  informed  him  that  they 
were  in  the  habit  of  proceeding  to  the  upper  Kasai  to  Mai 
Monene,  and  also  further  north  in  the  direction  of  Bena 
Makima  and  Luebo,  the  point  at  which  we  hoped  to  end 
our  overland  journey ;  and  he  was  of  the  opinion  that 
should  we  succeed  in  meeting  with  a  party  of  these  people 
travelling  eastwards  we  should  have  little  difficulty  in  per- 
suading them  to  take  us  across  the  country  of  the  Bakongo 
and  Bashilele  ;  and  as  he  knew  it  always  suited  the  purpose 
of  the  Badjok  to  remain  on  friendly  terms  with  the  tribes 
whose  country  they  passed  through,  he  considered  that  there 
would  be  little  risk  in  such  an  undertaking.  He  assured  us 
that  he  had  found  the  natives  around  Kandale  quite  peaceful, 
and  that  he  had  much  enjoyed  his  life  among  them.  The 
country,  he  said,  was  healthy,  consisting  of  great  open  plains, 
and  he  had  no  difficulty  at  all  in  supplying  his  factory 
with  food.  In  short,  he  believed  that  we  should  reach  the 
Kasai  with  few  difficulties,  and  little  if  any  danger. 

These  opinions,  however,  were  not  shared  by  one  or 
two  men  of  considerable  experience  ;  they  asserted  that  it 
would  be  madness  to  attempt  the  passage  of  the  unknown 
country  between   the  Loange  and    the   Kasai  without    an 


UP   THE   KWILU    RIVER  233 

armed  escort  consisting  of  natives  well  used  to  the  service 
of  the  white  man,  and  a  very  considerable  number  of  porters 
to  be  recruited  preferably  from  among  the  people  from 
the  upper  Kasai  or  Sankuru.  Such  men,  they  said,  could 
easily  be  found,  many  of  them  would  be  accustomed  to  the 
use  of  muzzle-loading  guns,  and  therefore  would  be  able  to 
handle  our  Albini  rifles,  in  case  of  attack,  more  effectually 
than  the  primitive  people  of  the  Kwilu ;  and  finally,  as 
they  would  be  working  at  a  great  distance  from  their  homes, 
they  would  be  unlikely  to  desert  for  fear  of  the  surrounding 
tribes  with  whom  they  would  have  nothing  in  common. 
The  men  who  put  forward  these  arguments  had  some  of 
them  resided  upon  the  upper  Kasai  in  the  country  of  the 
warlike  Zappo  Zap  or  of  the  Bena  Lulua,  who  though 
under-sized,  weakly-looking  people,  are  noted  for  their 
courage.  Good  men  selected  from  one  of  these  two  tribes 
might  very  likely  have  formed  a  useful  escort  in  the  event 
of  any  hostilities,  but  it  is  more  than  probable  that  their 
domineering  ways  would  have  caused  us  considerable  diffi- 
culty when  travelling  among  the  people  of  the  Kwilu  ;  and 
of  course  it  was  most  important  for  us  to  gain  the  friend- 
ship of  the  local  natives  wherever  we  went.  Besides  this, 
it  would  have  been  impossible  to  get  such  picked  men 
together,  and  had  we  decided  to  take  with  us  an  escort  and 
porters  of  the  people  of  the  Kasai,  we  should  have  had 
to  be  content  with  the  sweepings  of  the  Baluba  workmen 
whose  demerits  I  have  discussed  before. 

Torday,  from  his  previous  wanderings  among  them, 
knew  well  the  people  of  Kwilu  ;  he  liked  them,  and,  which 
is  more  important,  those  he  had  met  liked  him.     He  was, 


234      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

therefore,  sure  of  being  able  to  get  as  many  men  as  he 
wanted  from  villages  which  he  had  previously  known.  In 
reply  to  the  statement  that  the  Kwilu  country  was  dangerous, 
more  white  men  having  been  killed  there  than  in  any  other 
part  of  the  Kasai  district,  he  pointed  out  that  as  often  as 
not  the  cause  of  the  trouble  had  been  the  white  man's 
Baluba  followers,  and  that  in  such  fighting  as  had  occurred 
in  the  Kwilu  the  Baluba  had  almost  invariably  run  away, 
leaving  their  master  to  be  defended  by  the  local  natives. 
In  one  instance  a  factory  had  been  attacked  and  the  Baluba 
had  bolted,  when  a  number  of  local  Bayanzi  workmen 
employed  in  the  post  had  repulsed  the  attack,  armed  with 
nothing  but  their  machettes  or  long  knives.  No  one,  I 
think,  casts  a  slur  upon  the  courage  of  the  natives  of  the 
Kwilu.  In  addition  to  being  brave,  Torday  knew  them  to 
be  just  as  quiet  and  friendly  when  staying  in  the  villages 
of  another  tribe  as  the  Baluba  are  domineering  and  ojffensive, 
therefore  he  decided  to  be  accompanied  only  by  natives  of 
the  Kwilu.  We  did  not  succeed,  at  this  time,  in  con- 
vincing the  supporters  of  the  Baluba.  "  You  will  never 
get  across  without  an  escort  from  the  Kasai,"  they  said. 
"  We  shall  certainly  have  trouble  if  we  take  any  Baluba," 
was  the  reply.  Another  of  our  plans  was  regarded  as 
foolish  in  the  extreme  by  the  pessimists.  Our  ten  Albini 
rifles,  which  up  to  this  moment  had  remained  in  the 
packing  in  which  they  had  come  from  Europe,  and  which 
had  never  accompanied  us  upon  our  journeys,  were  packed 
with  the  ninety  rounds  of  ammunition,  which  was  all  we 
had,  in  two  stout  wooden  cases,  each  forming  a  load  for 
two  men.     It  was  considered  that  the  weapons  would  not 


UP   THE   KWILU   RIVER  235 

be  sufficiently  get-at-able  in  case  of  need,  but  we  were  con- 
vinced that  the  need  for  them  would  be  far  less  likely  to 
arise  if  the  natives  did  not  know  that  we  were  travelling 
through  their  country  more  or  less  equipped  for  war,  and 
until  almost  the  end  of  our  journey  even  our  own  men, 
who  daily  carried  the  boxes,  had  no  idea  what  they  con- 
tained. The  plans  we  ultimately  formed  for  our  journey 
were  briefly  as  follows :  We  were  to  ascend  the  Kwilu  River 
as  far  as  a  village  named  M'Bei  on  the  right  bank,  not  far 
from  the  spot  where  the  Inzia  flows  into  the  Kwilu ;  from 
here  we  were  to  proceed  up  the  Kwilu  to  Kikwit,  leaving 
a  message  at  the  Kasai  Company's  factory  of  Luano  (about 
half-way  to  Kikwit)  that  Torday  would  be  requiring  a  few 
men  to  accompany  him  upon  our  journey.  Torday  knew 
well  the  natives  in  the  vicinity  of  Luano,  and  he  was  con- 
vinced that  should  they  become  aware  that  we  were  waiting 
at  Kikwit  for  porters,  a  large  number  of  them  (many  more 
than  we  should  require)  would  immediately  volunteer  for 
service,  and  go  up  to  Kikwit  to  join  us  next  time  the 
Company's  steamer  passed. 

At  Kikwit  Torday  would  be  able  to  renew  his  acquaint- 
ance with  the  southern  Bambala  people,  among  whom  he 
had  previously  spent  a  considerable  time,  and,  as  soon  as  the 
men  from  Luano  joined  us,  we  were  to  go  on  to  the  factory 
of  Athenes  to  the  south-south-east,  near  the  head  waters 
of  the  Kancha  River.  In  the  country  round  Athenes  we 
should  have  an  opportunity  of  studying  the  Babunda  tribe 
and  the  neighbouring  Bapinji,  and  we  might  get  some 
information  about  the  Hungarian  explorer,  Magyar,  who 
lost  his  life  about   fifty   years   ago  in   the   country  of  the 


236      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

Babunda,  and  possibly  recover  some  of  his  records.  From 
Athenes  we  were  to  proceed  either  to  Kandale,  as  had  been 
suggested  by  M.  Gentil,  or  to  the  factory  of  Dumba  upon 
the  Lubue  River,  from  either  of  which  places  we  could 
commence  our  final  journey  towards  the  Kasai.  With  this 
end  in  view  we  sent  on  a  good  supply  of  provisions  to 
Dumba,  where  we  could  pick  them  up,  or  whence  they 
could  readily  be  sent  to  Kandale.  The  number  of  per- 
manent porters  who  were  to  be  recruited  at  Luano  was  not 
to  exceed  twenty-five.  Considering  that  we  had  a  large 
number  of  provisions  and  a  good  deal  of  impedimenta  in 
the  way  of  camp  equipment,  trade  goods,  &c.,  to  carry  with 
us,  this  number  may  seem  ridiculously  small,  but  as  we 
knew  we  were  attempting  to  enter  a  country  of  very  sus- 
picious and  probably  hostile  people,  we  knew  that  it  would 
be  useless  to  try  to  penetrate  that  country  with  a  large 
following  of  men,  as  any  such  attempt  would  only  be 
regarded  by  the  natives  as  a  warlike  invasion  of  their 
territory ;  therefore  we  decided  to  take  just  sufficient  men 
to  carry  the  bare  necessities  of  life  in  case  we  were  forced 
to  retreat  hurriedly  from  the  country,  and  to  rely  entirely 
upon  establishing  such  friendly  relations  with  the  natives 
as  to  enable  us  to  obtain  local  porters  to  carry  us  from 
village  to  village.  Of  personal  servants  we  had  but  two, 
our  cook  Luchima,  who  was  at  this  time  in  a  very  poor 
state  of  health,  and  my  boy  Sam.  Among  the  Bambala 
people  we  intended  to  obtain  another  boy  or  two,  of  whom 
or  of  whose  parents  Torday  had  known  something  in  the 
past. 

We  were  to  start  from  Dima  on  the  24th  January  on 


UP   THE   KWILU   RIVER  237 

board  the  Company's  steamer  Sl  Antoine^  and  had  slept  the 
night  of  the  23rd  on  board.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  23rd, 
however,  a  Government  steamer  descending  the  Kasai  had 
landed  a  passenger  suffering  from  a  bad  attack  of  black- 
water  fever,  to  be  looked  after  by  the  Company's  doctor 
resident  at  Dima.  In  the  night  he  died,  and  early  next 
morning  the  St.  Antoine  was  sent  to  fetch  the  Jesuit  mis- 
sionary from  Wombali  to  perform  the  burial  service.  The 
funeral  took  place  at  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon ;  the 
coffin,  carried  by  a  number  of  retired  soldiers  now  working 
at  Dima  and  preceded  by  a  bugler,  was  borne  to  the  little 
cemetery  just  outside  the  post.  The  priest  was  accompanied 
by  diminutive  black  acolytes  clothed  in  red,  their  ebony 
faces  gleaming  as  the  result  of  an  unwonted  application  of 
soap.  The  service  was  short,  and  at  the  conclusion  of  it 
Colonel  Chaltin,  who  acted  as  chief  mourner,  made  a  brief 
speech.  The  unfortunate  officer  had  been  landed  at  Dima 
in  an  absolutely  hopeless  condition,  and  had  died  without 
any  one  he  knew  beside  him.  Next  morning,  however, 
when  viewing  the  body,  one  of  the  Company's  agents 
resident  in  Dima  recognised  the  face  of  a  schoolfellow. 
As  soon  as  possible  after  the  ceremony  we  boarded  the 
steamer,  accompanied  by  the  priest,  and  started  off  for 
Wombali.  At  its  mouth,  where  it  is  some  five  hundred 
yards  wide,  the  Kwango  flows  through  low  lying  country, 
its  right  bank  bordered  by  papyrus  swamps  and  marshes 
which  stretch  away  eastwards  to  the  forest.  The  left  bank 
is  slightly  less  swampy  than  the  right,  and  upon  this  shore, 
some  two  miles  from  the  mouth,  is  situated  the  Jesuit  mis- 
sion of  Wombali.     As  it  was  already  late  the  steamer  was 


238      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

to  stop  for  the  night  at  the  mission,  and  the  priest  in 
charge,  Father  Van  Tilborg,  asked  the  captain  and  ourselves 
to  dine  with  him  on  shore.  As  soon  as  the  ship  was  made 
fast  Torday  and  I  went  ashore  with  the  priest,  taking  with 
us  our  shot  guns  in  the  hope  of  coming  across  some  duck, 
which  are  numerous  in  the  neighbourhood.  Accompanied 
by  one  of  the  lay  brothers,  a  farmer  who  superintended  the 
plantations  at  Wombali  and  instructed  the  natives  ot  the 
mission  in  agriculture,  we  proceeded  about  a  mile  inland  to 
some  damp  low-lying  fields  whither  the  duck  return  every 
evening  from  the  sandbanks  of  the  river.  We  saw  a  fair 
number  of  ducks,  but  they,  perceiving  us,  did  not  give  us  a 
chance  to  shoot,  and  having  secured  a  francolin  or  two  we 
returned  to  the  mission  just  as  the  sun  was  setting.  The 
house  in  which  the  missionaries  lived  at  the  time  of  our  visit 
was  an  old  one  made  of  plaster,  but  a  new  house  of  brick 
was  in  course  of  construction  under  the  guidance  of  the 
other  lay  brother,  who  had  been  educated  as  a  builder.  A 
neat  brick  chapel  has  already  been  erected.  As  the  native 
population  of  Wombali  is  by  no  means  dense,  the  mission- 
aries have  extended  the  field  of  their  labours  some  distance 
up  the  Kwilu  and  Inzia  rivers,  at  various  places  on  the 
shores  of  which  they  have  established  fermes  chapelles,  each 
one  looked  after  by  a  Christian  native  who  has  been  educated 
by  the  Jesuit  missionaries.  In  these  fermes  chapelles  the 
younger  children  receive  their  earliest  instructions  at  the 
hands  of  the  catechist,  and  when  they  have  learnt  as  much 
as  he  can  teach  them  they  are  passed  on  to  Wombali  to 
complete  their  education.  The  missionaries  possess  a  small 
steamer,  by  means  of  which  Father  Van  Tilborg  and  his  two 


UP   THE   KWILU   RIVER  239 

subordinates  frequently  visit  these  detached  posts.  The 
whole  of  the  Jesuit  missionary  enterprise  in  this  region  is, 
I  understand,  under  the  control  of  the  Jesuit  headquarters 
of  Kisantu,  on  the  railway  between  Stanley  Pool  and  the 
coast.  After  an  excellent  dinner  the  conversation  turned 
upon  our  proposed  shooting  trip,  and  after  admiring  one 
or  two  fine  buffalo  skulls  hanging  up  on  the  verandah,  we 
asked  the  missionaries  for  any  information  they  could  give 
us  with  regard  to  the  haunts  of  the  buffalo,  elephants,  and 
other  animals  that  we  should  be  likely  to  meet  with. 
Upon  hearing  that  we  intended  to  stay  at  M'Bei,  the  farmer 
informed  us  that  he  had  heard  that  game  was  plentiful 
there,  but  that  he  knew  from  personal  experience  that 
buffalo  were  to  be  met  with  in  large  numbers  near  the 
ferme  chapelle  of  Pana,  some  few  miles  higher  up  the 
Kwilu  ;  here,  too,  he  informed  us,  elephants  are  frequently 
to  be  seen,  and  such  small  antelopes  as  exist  in  this  part 
of  Africa  are  also  to  be  found  in  fair  numbers.  Father 
Von  Tilborg  kindly  asked  us  to  make  what  use  we  liked 
of  the  ferme  chapelle^  and  to  request  the  catechist  and  the 
children  there  to  show  us  the  haunts  of  the  game,  which 
he  was  confident  they  would  be  well  able  to  do.  We 
determined,  therefore,  to  stop  at  M'Bei  on  the  morrow  and 
try  our  luck,  and  to  proceed  to  Pana  by  the  next  steamer 
should  we  not  be  enjoying  sufficient  sport  at  M'Bei. 

The  Kwango,  up  to  the  point  where  it  is  joined  by  its 
tributary  the  Kwilu,  maintains  a  width  of  about  six 
hundred  yards,  flowing  through  level  plains,  often  swampy 
in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  river.  The  trade  upon 
the  Kwango  River  itself,  which  does  not  fall  within  the 


240      LAND   AND    PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

concession  of  the  Kasai  Company,  is  carried  on  by  the 
Credit  Commercial  Company,  which  has  one  factory  on 
the  right  bank  but  a  short  distance  above  Wombali.  Up 
to  its  confluence  with  the  Inzia  the  Kwilu  is  but  little 
narrower  than  the  Kwango.  It  flows  through  a  country 
consisting  of  great  grassy  plains,  interspersed  with  a  fair 
amount  of  woodland,  very  much  resembling,  in  the  dis- 
tance, a  view  over  an  English  woodland  country,  the  woods 
in  no  case  being  sufficiently  continuous  to  be  dignified  with 
the  name  of  forest.  For  many  miles  up  the  river  from  its 
mouth  the  banks  are  not  even  fringed  with  trees,  and 
higher  up  still,  even  near  to  its  tributary  the  Kwengo, 
frequent  gaps  in  the  narrow  forest  belt  enable  one  to  see 
from  the  deck  of  a  steamer  the  real  open  nature  of  the 
country.  A  recent  traveller  has  described  the  basin  of 
the  Kwilu  as  one  great  virgin  forest.  A  greater  mistake 
could  not  possibly  be  made.  In  no  case  does  the  forest 
belt  exceed  a  width  of  about  twenty-five  miles,  and  it  is 
rarely  more  than  a  mile  or  two  from  the  water's  edge  to 
the  plains.  In  many  maps  this  river  is  marked  "  Kwilu," 
or  "  Djuma "  ;  but  although  Torday  during  his  previous 
journeys  in  this  district  has  constantly  inquired  of  the 
natives  what  they  call  the  river,  and  during  our  sojourn 
there  we  many  times  repeated  the  question,  no  native  with 
whom  we  came  into  contact  had  ever  heard  of  the  second 
name.      Many  people,  however,  called  it  "  Kilu." 

We  left  Wombali  early  in  the  morning,  and  turning  up 
the  mouth  of  the  Kwilu  we  proceeded  on  our  way  to 
M'Bei.  There  are  a  considerable  number  of  sandbanks, 
with    their    usual    complement    of   crocodiles    and    aquatic 


UP  THE   KWILU   RIVER  241 

birds,  and  wooded  islands  in  this  part  of  the  river,  and  in 
the  stiller  water  among  these  small  herds  of  hippopotami 
were  to  be  seen  lying  almost  submerged,  waiting  till  the 
cool  of  the  evening  should  tempt  them  to  their  feeding 
grounds  upon  the  banks.  Although  we  rarely  saw  a  village 
there  were  plenty  of  signs  of  human  life,  groups  of  canoes 
moored  by  the  bank,  fish  traps  and  spear  traps  for  hippo- 
potami were  numerous,  and  here  and  there  small  quantities 
of  wood  chopped  up  into  lengths  suitable  for  burning  on 
the  steamer  stood  in  conspicuous  places  where  they  would 
catch  the  captain's  eye.  As  a  rule  there  would  be  no 
natives  watching  over  these ;  the  people  in  this  part  of  the 
world  are  quite  content  to  cut  wood  and  leave  it  there  for 
the  captain  of  the  passing  steamer  to  take,  trusting  him  to 
leave  the  payment  for  it  upon  the  spot.  In  this  way  the 
Kwilu  steamers  have  often  habitually  taken  fuel  at  certain 
spots  without  ever  seeing  the  people  who  supply  it.  The 
captains,  of  course,  must  have  been  scrupulously  honest  in 
paying  for  what  they  took  or  the  natives  would  discontinue 
the  supply.  As  a  rule,  wood  is  obtained  at  the  fermes 
chapelle  of  the  Jesuit  mission.  I  believe  that  the  Company 
has  made  an  agreement  with  the  missionaries  to  take  their 
wood  in  preference  to  any  other,  for  the  priests  realise  that 
the  children  in  their  outposts  have  very  little  to  do  to  keep 
their  plantations  in  order,  and  are  accordingly  glad  for 
them  to  have  the  occupation  of  felling  and  chopping  up 
the  wood. 

Our  captain  did  not  know  exactly  where  the  village 
of  M'Bei  was  situated,  but  one  of  the  helmsmen,  who  was 
a  native  of  the  country,  undertook  to  find  the  spot.     On 

Q 


242      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

our  arrival,  however,  we  found  that  the  right  bank  of 
the  river,  upon  which  the  village  was  situated,  was  un- 
approachable owing  to  the  shallow  water ;  we  therefore 
took  the  advice  given  us  at  Wombali  and  continued  our 
journey,  stopping  next  day  at  Pana.  We  passed  the  night 
alongside  a  low-lying  plain  on  the  right  bank,  in  the  midst 
of  which  was  situated  a  small  village  of  the  Bayanzi ; 
this  we  visited,  and  made  inquiries  as  to  the  game  in  the 
country.  Buffalo,  we  were  told,  were  very  numerous  here, 
and  elephants  frequently  visited  the  plain  in  which  the 
village  stood ;  indeed,  we  ourselves  saw  their  tracks.  The 
natives  here  were  confident  that  we  could  not  do  better 
than  proceed  to  Pana,  where  they  said  we  should  find 
abundance  of  game.  The  following  afternoon  we  passed 
the  mouth  of  the  Inzia.  Upon  this  river  are  situated 
several  factories  belonging  to  the  Kasai  Company,  and 
a  good  deal  of  rubber  and  ivory  is  exported  from  it. 
Although  the  stream  is  narrow,  only  some  one  hundred 
and  fifty  yards  wide  at  the  mouth,  there  is  at  all  times 
of  the  year  a  sufficient  depth  of  water  to  admit  of  the 
passage  of  a  small  steamer.  The  banks  of  the  Kwilu 
just  above  the  Inzia  rise  abruptly  from  the  water  to  a 
height  of  some  fifty  feet,  and  a  few  miles  above  the  con- 
fluence, on  the  right  shore  of  the  Kwilu,  stands  the  Govern- 
ment post  of  Pana.  Until  quite  recently  no  troops  had 
been  stationed  in  this  district,  but  several  of  its  agents 
having  been  murdered,  the  Kasai  Company  prevailed  upon 
the  Government  to  establish  a  garrison  there,  paying,  I 
understand,  a  large  amount  yearly  for  this  protection, 
which   one  would   have   thought   it  was  the  duty  of   the 


UP   THE   KWILU    RIVER  243 

Government  to  supply,  especially  when  one  considers  the 
vast  amount  paid  annually  by  the  Company  in  taxes,  export 
duties,  &c.  At  the  time  we  passed  both  the  commandant 
in  command  of  the  station  and  his  subordinate,  a  white 
N.C.O.,  were  absent  upon  a  long  journey  to  the  south, 
so  we  did  not  go  ashore,  but  continued  our  journey  for 
about  a  mile  to  the  ferme  chapelle  of  Pana,  which  lies  on 
the  opposite  shore.  The  place  consists  of  a  group  of 
plaster  huts  forming  three  sides  of  a  square  situated  upon 
the  bank,  which  here  rises  to  a  height  of  some  twenty- 
five  feet  above  the  water.  At  the  sound  of  the  steamer's 
whistle  all  the  inhabitants,  from  the  catechist  and  his  wife 
down  to  the  youngest  child,  aged  probably  about  three, 
hurried  down  to  the  water's  edge.  Visitors  are  rare  at 
Pana  ;  in  fact,  I  very  much  doubt  if  any  one  except  the 
missionaries  have  ever  slept  there  before  :  accordingly 
the  removal  of  our  belongings  from  the  steamer  occasioned 
no  little  excitement  among  the  children.  The  catechist 
hastened  forward  to  greet  us ;  he  was  attired  in  a  pair  of 
white  duck  trousers,  a  frock  coat,  and  a  grey  felt  hat ; 
he  was  polite,  rather  too  polite,  and,  although  his  appear- 
ance suggested  the  utmost  respectability,  we  did  not  an- 
ticipate that  we  should  obtain  much  sport  through  any 
assistance  of  his.  He  had  a  smugness  of  manner  which 
led  us  to  imagine  at  once  that  here  was  one  of  those 
natives  who,  in  becoming  a  Christian,  had  forgotten  that 
he  was  primarily  a  man,  and  we  felt  that  this  was  the 
last  person  in  the  world  with  whom  one  could  wish  to 
hunt  dangerous  game.  Subsequent  events,  however,  proved 
to  us  how  false  the  hastily-formed  opinion  was. 


244      LAND    AND    PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

The  ferme  chapelle  at  Pana  consists  of  a  plaster  building 
used  both  as  a  schoolroom  and  a  chapel,  and,  with  one  or 
two  small  huts,  forms  one  side  of  the  post.  Opposite  to 
this  is  situated  the  house  of  the  catechist,  while  between 
the  two,  lying  some  fifty  yards  back  from  the  bank,  is 
a  row  of  huts  inhabited  by  the  children  resident  at  the 
mission ;  there  are  one  or  two  other  houses  for  the  children 
lying  just  outside  the  three  sides  of  a  rectangle  thus  formed. 
The  catechist,  who  rejoices  in  the  name  of  Louis,  and  his 
wife  Marie  are  in  command  of  the  post,  sharing  the  labours 
of  teaching,  and  superintending  the  cultivation  of  crops 
and  instructing  the  very  small  children,  some  of  whom 
cannot  exceed  three  years  of  age,  in  the  rudiments  of  cook- 
ing and  other  household  duties.  There  are  not  many 
children  actually  resident  in  the  mission — at  the  outside 
they  cannot  exceed  twenty — but  there  are  a  fair  number 
of  Bayanzi  villages  scattered  about  in  the  neighbourhood, 
from  which  the  children  arrive  early  in  the  morning,  re- 
turning home  at  sunset.  Short  services  are  held  two  or 
three  times  a  day,  the  congregation  being  summoned  by 
the  beating  of  an  old  tin,  for  the  ferme  chapelle  of  Pana 
cannot  yet  boast  of  a  bell.  After  the  early  morning  service 
the  children  receive  instruction  in  the  principles  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  faith,  while  a  few  of  the  elder  ones,  who 
have  commenced  learning  to  read  and  write,  spend  some 
time  sitting  about  with  pencil  and  paper  copying  down 
the  alphabet  and  short  sentences  from  a  very  elementary 
"  reader,"  their  work  being  overlooked  by  Louis  when 
his  class  teaching  is  at  an  end.  In  the  afternoon  all  the 
children  work  in  the  fields,  or,  if  a  steamer  is  expected, 


A    CIIIM)    KKOM     I  lirrMlSSH  IN     Al      I'ANA. 


IS    CAFl'l-'.K    SIMI'MIM    ;    A    C' i\\  . 


UP   THE   KWILU    RIVER  245 

fell  and  cut  up  timber  ready  for  fuel.  Louis  appeared 
to  us  to  fulfil  his  task  remarkably  well.  I  do  not  know 
exactly  what  his  qualifications  as  a  teacher  were,  but  he 
certainly  kept  his  post  neat  and  tidy  and  maintained  per- 
fect order  amongst  his  pupils,  to  whom  I  think  he  was 
greatly  attached,  and  who  certainly  seemed  devoted  to  him. 
We  had  brought  with  us  from  Dima  a  native,  who 
had  been  employed  there  as  a  buffalo  hunter,  to  act  as 
tracker  and  gun-bearer.  With  this  man,  and  a  child  or 
two  from  the  mission,  I  went  out  on  the  evening  of  our 
arrival  to  have  a  look  round  for  tracks  of  buffalo,  which 
were  said  to  come  close  up  to  the  post  after  nightfall,  and, 
sure  enough,  within  five  hundred  yards  of  the  houses  we 
came  upon  the  spoor  of  a  herd  of  some  half-dozen  of  these 
beasts  which  clearly  showed  that  they  had  been  feeding 
upon  the  borders  of  the  plantation.  Indeed,  Louis  had 
found  it  necessary  to  have  a  rough  fence  erected  beside 
his  fields  to  keep  the  animals  out.  Next  morning,  accom- 
panied by  the  tracker  and  two  boys  of  about  twelve  and 
fourteen  years  of  age,  I  attempted  to  work  up  to  this  herd 
as  they  wallowed  in  the  forest  swamp  close  by  the  river 
bank,  half  a  mile  or  so  below  the  post.  The  amount  of 
water  in  the  swamp,  and  frequent  slipping  about  upon 
submerged  sticks  as  we  followed  the  path  by  which  the 
buffaloes  had  gone,  caused  us  to  make  so  much  noise  as 
to  disturb  the  animals  before  I  could  get  a  shot,  and  I 
returned  to  Pana  unsuccessful.  One  thing,  however,  about 
this  preliminary  effort  was  satisfactory.  I  had  found  out 
that,  although  the  tracker  from  Dima  was  undoubtedly 
good  at  his  job,  the  two  mission  children  were  in  no  way 


246      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

his  inferiors  at  finding  out  and  following  up  tracks,  and 
that,  despite  their  youth,  they  had  not  the  slightest  hesi- 
tation in  entering  the  thick  cover  where  the  beasts  were 
known  to  be,  in  addition  to  which,  of  course,  they  pos- 
sessed an  excellent  knowledge  of  the  country  round,  and 
were  evidently  as  keen  as  I  was  upon  the  business.  When 
I  returned  I  found  that  Louis  had  suggested  to  Torday 
that  that  evening  we  might  try  for  a  shot  near  the  post 
by  moonlight,  for  the  moon  was  now  full.  This  we  de- 
cided to  do,  and  one  or  two  children  were  posted  in  the 
plantations  to  listen  for  the  approach  of  the  beasts.  Just 
as  we  had  finished  dinner,  the  catechist  came  to  say  that 
the  animals  had  been  heard.  When  we  turned  to  look 
at  him  our  surprise  was  great.  The  white  trousers,  frock 
coat  and  grey  felt  hat  had  disappeared  ;  the  smug  school- 
master, to  whom  we  had  taken  an  instinctive  dislike  on 
the  previous  day,  was  transformed  into  a  native  hunter, 
who,  clad  only  in  a  very  scanty  loin  cloth  and  grasping  a 
light  spear,  was  eagerly  beckoning  us  to  follow  him.  We 
started  off  at  once,  but  although  we  were  able  to  get  quite 
close  to  the  animals  we  could  never  see  them.  The  cate- 
chist proved  himself  to  be  an  excellent  stalker,  as  were 
also  the  one  or  two  children  who  accompanied  him.  We 
learned  subsequently  that  this  man  would  frequently  chase 
the  buffaloes  out  of  the  plantations  at  night,  and  that  on  one 
occasion  during  the  dry  season  when  some  elephants  had 
threatened  his  crops  he  and  a  few  of  his  elder  pupils  had 
succeeded  in  driving  them  away.  On  one  or  two  occasions 
he  accompanied  us  to  look  for  buffalo  by  night,  and  I  am 
sure  that  he  would  have  taken  part  in  our  shooting  expedi- 


UP   THE   KWILU    RIVER  247 

tions  by  daylight  to  the  detriment  of  his  children's  studies, 
had  he  not  been  laid  up  with  a  bad  attack  of  fever  during 
the  greater  part  of  our  stay  at  Pana.  These  evenings  spent 
with  him  in  the  bush  completely  altered  the  opinion  we  had 
at  first  formed  of  the  man.  We  never  succeeded  in  obtain- 
ing a  beast  from  the  herd  which  fed  so  close  to  the  mission; 
the  passage  of  the  children  to  and  from  the  villages  at  sun- 
rise and  sunset  prevented  their  leaving  the  forest  during  the 
hours  of  daylight,  but  with  the  buffaloes  further  to  the 
west  we  were  more  fortunate. 

The  country  between  the  Kwilu  and  the  Inzia  at  this 
point  consists  of  gently  undulating  grassy  plains,  entirely 
devoid  of  bushes,  in  which  are  situated  many  pools  and 
swamps  where  buffalo  drink  and  linger  long  after  sunrise 
to  crop  the  sweet  grass.  There  is  also  a  good  deal  of 
woodland  such  as  I  have  described  before,  consisting  rather 
of  small  dense  covers  than  of  continuous  forest,  parts  of 
which  are  usually  swampy,  and  here  the  beasts  wallow  in 
the  shade  during  the  fierce  midday  heat.  The  soil  of  the 
plains  is  sandy  and  the  grass  is  rarely  very  thick,  resembling 
a  thin  English  crop  of  hay  about  five  feet  high.  We 
usually  had  to  go  some  distance  towards  the  Inzia  before 
we  found  our  buffalo,  the  likely  spots  being  shown  to  us 
by  children  from  the  mission.  There  is  another  ferme 
chapelle  on  the  Inzia,  about  five  hours'  march  from  Pana, 
and  as  the  children  from  Pana  frequently  visit  it,  they  had 
often  seen  buffalo  on  the  way  and  were  consequently  able 
to  take  us  to  their  favourite  feeding  grounds.  I  do  not 
think  that  we  ever  went  out  with  these  children  without 
finding  a  beast  of  some  sort.     We  saw  buffaloes  in  herds 


248      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

numbering  from  three  to  fifteen  heads,  and  have  counted 
as  many  as  twenty-seven  in  one  day.  To  find  them,  how- 
ever, one  must  leave  Pana  long  before  daylight,  or  the 
increasing  heat  of  the  sun  will  have  driven  them  into  the 
forest  swamps  before  one  reaches  the  pastures.  I  think 
that  the  buffalo  in  this  part  of  the  world  are  larger  than 
those  I  had  come  into  contact  with  near  the  Mushenge  and 
those  whose  tracks  I  saw  in  the  equatorial  forest.  They 
also  seem  to  me  to  be  considerably  darker  than  those  around 
the  Mushenge.  This  applies  not  only  to  the  aged  bulls, 
some  of  which  are  almost  black,  but  also  to  the  adult  cows, 
which  are  of  a  dark  chocolate-brown  colour  all  over.  Quite 
half  the  animals  in  any  given  herd  on  the  Kwilu  would  be 
as  dark  or  darker  than  the  bull  I  have  seen  east  of  the 
Kasai.  The  horns,  too,  of  both  bulls  and  cows  appear  to 
be  larger,  as  a  rule,  than  the  specimens  I  had  previously 
seen.  We  secured  some  really  fine  specimens  of  both  male 
and  female  of  the  buffaloes  around  Pana,  and  Mr. 
Lyddekker,  to  whom  we  submitted  them,  has  found  that 
they  represent  a  species  of  small  buffalo  hitherto  unknown 
to  science,  which  he  has  described  under  the  name  of  hos 
caffer  simpsoni.  A  mounted  head  of  a  female,  the  sex  which 
displays  the  most  marked  difference  in  colouring  from  the 
buffaloes  around  the  Mushenge,  is  now  exhibited  in  the 
Natural  History  Museum,  Cromwell  Road.  As  I  have 
already  remarked  in  Chapter  V.,  I  cannot  help  thinking 
that  there  must  at  least  be  three  species  of  buffalo  in  the 
parts  of  the  Kasai  district  we  visited  :  the  buffalo  of  the 
Kwilu,  that  of  the  Mushenge,  and  the  small  animals  of  the 
southern  portion  of  the  equatorial  forest.     Whether  or  not 


P>OS    (Ai'l-KK    SIMl'SO.NI   ;    dL'R    ISK.S  1'    liUl.I.. 


UP  THE   KWILU   RIVER  249 

the  buffaloes  I  shot  during  my  trip  from  the  Mushenge  are 
really  of  the  bos  caffer  nanus  variety  I  am  not  in  a  position 
to  state,  for  their  head  skins  were  unfortunately  spoilt  by 
the  climate,  but  1  know  that  the  males  of  that  district  are 
darker  in  colour  than  the  mounted  specimen  of  nanus  from 
Nigeria  exhibited  in  the  Natural  History  Museum,  whereas 
the  females  appear  to  be  of  about  the  same  colour  but 
rather  larger  than  the  female  there  shown.  Possibly,  there- 
fore, the  buffaloes  from  the  country  around  the  Mushenge 
may  constitute  a  diff^erent  species,  as  may  those  of  the  great 
forest.  I  have  no  right  to  advance  any  theory  with  regard 
to  these  latter  for,  as  I  have  said,  I  never  set  eyes  on  one 
of  them  ;  but  to  judge  by  their  tracks  they  appear  to  be 
smaller  than  either  of  the  buff^aloes  I  shot.  I  was  told  by 
a  Belgian  gentleman  who  has  done  a  good  deal  of  shoot- 
ing that  two  kinds  of  buffalo  exist  near  Kanda-Kanda, 
where,  I  suppose,  the  dwarf  buffalo  may  be  merging  into 
the  well-known  "  Cape  "  species,  but  I  saw  no  horns  from 
this  part  of  Africa.  Although  the  bufi^alo  from  the  Kwilu 
lacks  the  enormous  strength  of  his  cousin  the  Cape  buffalo, 
he  is  nevertheless  very  tenacious  of  life,  and  when  wounded 
is  capable  of  making  a  most  vicious  and  determined  charge. 
Although  I  used  a  powerful  rifle  I,  on  one  occasion,  only 
just  managed  to  stop  the  rush  of  an  animal  which  had 
previously  received  two  bullets  so  placed  that  the  wounds 
that  they  inflicted  must  have  proved  fatal  in  a  few  moments. 
Torday  also  had  an  experience  with  one  which  might  have 
ended  in  an  accident.  We  had  been  trying  to  secure  a 
couple  of  animals  for  the  steamer,  which  was  expected  that 
evening,  to  carry  on  to  Dima.     We  came  across  a  herd,  and 


250      LAND   AND    PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

singling  out  the  biggest  beast  I  fired  at  him  with  my  Ex- 
press ;  on  being  struck,  the  animal  turned  off  into  a  very 
small  but  dense  cover,  the  rest  of  the  herd  making  off 
across  the  plain.  When  we  reached  the  edge  of  the  little 
wood  in  which  the  wounded  animal  was,  we  could  hear  the 
beast  giving  vent  to  those  moaning  sounds  which  a  buffalo 
frequently  makes  when  at  the  point  of  death,  and  which, 
I  think,  must  always  make  the  sportsman  half  regret  that 
he  had  not  stayed  his  hand.  Concluding  that  it  would  be 
only  a  few  minutes  before  the  end  came,  Torday  whispered 
to  me  to  hurry  on  after  the  herd  with  one  child  from  the 
mission  in  the  hope  of  securing  a  second  beast,  while  he 
waited  with  another  child  until  the  animal  was  dead. 
Accordingly  I  followed  the  animals  across  the  plain,  but 
being  unable  to  come  up  with  them  I  returned  to  Torday, 
who  had  waited  outside  the  wood  until  the  moaning  had 
ceased,  and  then,  concluding  that  the  animal  was  dead,  he 
had  gone  round  to  the  other  side  of  the  cover  to  take  a 
look  at  it.  He  was  armed  with  his  256  Mannlicher,  for 
which  he  had  but  two  cartridges  left.  Now  if  one  attempts 
to  load  a  Mannlicher  with  a  clip  containing  but  two  car- 
tridges there  is  often  a  chance  that  the  action  of  the  rifle 
will  jam  after  the  first  shot  has  been  fired  when  endeavour- 
ing to  insert  the  second  cartridge  into  the  chamber,  there- 
fore Torday  loaded  one  cartridge  by  hand  and  gave  the 
second  one  to  the  small  boy  who  accompanied  him,  telling 
him  to  follow  closely  on  his  heels,  and  thrust  the  cartridge 
into  his  hand  should  he  have  to  fire  a  shot  and  reach  back 
for  it.  All  was  silent  as  he  entered  the  wood.  Going  on 
a  few  yards  he  made  out  the  form  of  the  buffalo  lying 


Cutting  vv  a  uukfalo  at  Pa.na. 


T-"-^ 

fif'^/MS  .    A. 

H^B^toMSIPT 

"^  JMK* 

|Kh^^^B^^^^^H|^^F-'*>~             .  '  J^M                   ,     _  liritli 

^^^^^Iwi 

^^^.- 

■    ""5^    .    V 

^^^S^'K^II 

^^^^^i&_.. 

''"    -'-^         'V     >I>J           4 

^^?^r-;'     ■ 

A-.  '  ^^^ 

fe.r 

^H|^ 

^^^^B^lBnf^^^^9P^B^3tttf5ii^QE^^^I^i9fz< 

gggfiJijka 

•■'    '^    i 

A  hippopotamus  from  the  Kwitu. 


UP   THE   KWILU   RIVER  251 

down  ;  he  was  not  sure  if  it  was  dead,  so  he  fired  at  it  in 
the  hope  of  finishing  it  off;  on  being  struck  the  animal 
slowly  rose  to  its  feet  and  turned  to  face  him.  It  was  but 
a  very  few  yards  distant ;  Torday  put  his  hand  back  for  the 
spare  cartridge,  and  the  little  Bayanzi  handed  it  to  him  as 
coolly  as  if  there  were  no  dangerous  beasts  within  twenty 
miles  of  him.  With  this  shot  Torday  finished  off  the 
buffalo.  This  is  but  one  example  out  of  many  that  came 
to  our  notice  of  the  great  courage  and  coolness  which  the 
mission  children  displayed  in  hunting  the  buffalo  with  us. 
If  it  requires  nerve  to  follow  the  wounded  animals  into  the 
dense  forest  when  armed  with  a  good  rifle,  I  always  think 
that  it  must  require  at  least  twice  as  much  to  go  in  armed 
with  nothing  at  all,  relying  solely  on  another  man's  accuracy 
of  aim.  I  will  not  weary  the  reader  with  the  details  of  our 
daily  hunting  experiences ;  suffice  it  to  say  that  we  kept 
ourselves  and  the  mission  children  supplied  with  fresh 
meat,  and  secured  some  excellent  heads  of  buffalo.  We 
were  also  able  to  add  duiker  and  a  reed  buck  (which  are 
by  no  means  common  here)  to  our  bag,  while  in  the  even- 
ings, if  we  cared  to  take  a  stroll  for  an  hour  or  so  round 
the  post,  we  could  provide  for  our  supper  with  francolins 
or  guinea-fowls.  We  were  at  Pana  during  the  rainy 
season,  and,  as  at  this  time  there  is  a  great  deal  of  water 
in  the  woods  inland,  elephants  do  not,  as  a  rule,  find  it 
necessary  to  come  down  to  the  Kwilu  to  drink ;  in  the  dry 
season,  however,  when  their  favourite  swamps  have  dried 
up,  the  animals  are  often  to  be  seen  quite  close  to  the  ferme 
chapelle.  We  stayed  nearly  three  weeks  at  Pana,  spending 
the  whole  of  our  time  in  hunting,  and   then   prepared  to 


252       LAND    AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

go  on  up  river  when  the  steamer  should  pass  our  camp  on 
its  way  to  Kikwit. 

Upon  the  arrival  of  the  St.  Antoine  we  left  the  little 
mission  after  spending  there  perhaps  the  pleasantest  time 
we  enjoyed  during  the  whole  of  our  journey,  and  pro- 
ceeded up  the  Kwilu  to  Luano,  among  the  natives  from 
which  neighbourhood  Torday  intended  to  recruit  our 
porters.  The  northern  Bambala  from  the  country  around 
Luano  are  born  farmers,  and  it  is  mainly  from  their  ex- 
tensive plantations  that  the  large  quantity  of  food-stuffs 
required  at  Dima  is  brought  down  the  river  every  ten  days 
on  board  the  St.  Antoine.  They  are  cannibals,  but  unlike 
the  fierce  and  treacherous  Bankutu  of  the  great  forest, 
whose  terrible  man-eating  propensities  I  have  already  de- 
scribed, they  only  partake  of  human  flesh  at  rare  intervals 
upon  the  occasion  of  some  ceremony,  and  they  never  de- 
liberately hunt  men  to  serve  as  food.  As  my  narrative 
of  our  wanderings  in  the  unknown  country  will  show, 
these  Bambala  are  as  quiet  and  peaceable  a  people  as  one 
could  wish  for  to  accompany  one  upon  a  journey  in  the 
course  of  which  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  maintain 
friendly  relations  with  the  natives  through  whose  villages 
one  passes.  A  youth  came  up  to  Torday  as  soon  as  we 
landed  at  Luano  and  inquired  if  it  was  true  that  he  was 
undertaking  a  journey  and  would  be  requiring  porters, 
and  upon  Torday  replying  in  the  affirmative  he  at  once 
announced  his  intention  of  accompanying  us.  Torday 
refused  his  services,  for  he  considered  that  the  lad  was 
not  sufficiently  strong  for  the  work  which  lay  before  us, 
and  we  saw  no  more   of  him  that  evening.     Next  morn- 


UP  THE    KWILU    RIVER  253 

ing,  however,  after  our  steamer  had  started  we  found  him 
seated    with    the    crew,  having    firmly    determined    to    ac- 
company  us  whether  we  liked  it  or  not.     After   this  we 
could  not  very  well  send   him   back,   so    we   enlisted   this 
lad,  Moamba,  as  a  member   of  our  expedition.     We    had 
left    a   message   for    the    people    around    Luano    that    we 
should  require  about  twenty  men  to    accompany   us,  and 
we  had  requested  the  Kasai  Company's  agent  to  tell  any 
one    who    should    volunteer    for    such    service    that    they 
might    come    on    by    the    next    steamer    and    join    us    at 
Kikwit,  where  we  intended    staying    a    few    days    amongst 
their  kinsmen  the  southern  Bambala.     Upon  the  third  day 
after  leaving  Luano  we  arrived  at  Kikwit ;  and  here  I  was 
immediately    struck    by    the    personal    appearance    of    the 
natives,  who  are  quite  unlike  any  I  have  previously   seen. 
They  cover  themselves — hair,   body  and  loin-cloth, — with 
a  reddish-coloured  clay  which,  although  it  may  seem  dis- 
gusting to  European  ideas  of  cleanliness,  is  so  neatly  and 
so  regularly   applied  that   one  soon    ceases  to    regard  the 
custom  as  dirty.     They  are  particularly  careful  about  the 
dressing  of  their  hair,  which  is  rolled  up  into  plaits  caked 
with  clay  running  backwards  from  the  forehead,  in  which 
they  often  fix  little  brass-headed  nails  purchased  from  the 
white  man.     These  plaits  hang  like  tails  behind  the  neck, 
and  it  is  by  no  means   uncommon   to  see  a  man  wearing 
a  skewer  in  one  of  them,  so  that  it  sticks  out  behind  him 
at  right  angles  to  his  neck.     These  southern  Bambala  are 
extraordinarily    vain    people,    and    upon    several    occasions 
Torday  has  had   two   of  them   come    to    him    to   settle  a 
dispute  as  to  which  of   them    was   the    better  looking,  a 


254      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

rather  difficult  question  to  decide,  for,  had  he  shown  any 
preference,  the  man  whose  appearance  had  been  thus  in- 
sulted would  have  been  mortally  offended. 

We  did  not  do  any  serious  ethnographical  work  among 
the  Bambala,  for  Torday  had  already  made  a  detailed 
study  of  their  manners  and  customs,  but  we  paid  several 
visits  to  their  beautiful  villages,  with  their  rectangular 
grass-built  huts  dotted  about  under  the  shade  of  the  palm- 
trees,  and  I  had  ample  opportunity  of  making  the  ac- 
quaintance of  many  natives  who  came  in  to  Kikwit  to 
see  Torday,  who  during  his  previous  stay  in  the  country 
had  evidently  made  himself  extremely  popular.  Literally 
hundreds  of  men  turned  up  to  talk  to  him,  and  I  am  in 
no  way  exaggerating  when  I  say  that  two  or  three  whole 
villages  offered  to  escort  us  to  the  Kasai.  This  struck 
Torday  as  rather  remarkable,  for  the  Bambala  had  always 
been  averse  to  travelling,  and  it  is  perhaps  a  sign  that  the 
arrival  of  the  European  has  given  the  natives  a  desire  to 
see  more  of  the  world  than  they  cared  to  do  when  in  a 
more  primitive  state. 

The  Bambala  are  really  good  singers,  and  it  is  very 
striking  to  hear  a  number  of  them  singing,  in  harmony,  a 
chant  composed  in  honour  of  the  white  man  to  whom  it 
is  sung.  Whenever  a  party  of  porters  arrives  to  carry 
loads  they  always  sing  in  this  way,  and  their  well-groomed 
persons,  their  smiling  countenances  and  their  songs  com- 
bine to  make  one  think  that  the  Bambala  must  be  a 
singularly  happy  and  contented  race.  There  are  two 
rather  curious  musical  instruments  in  use  among  these 
people.     One   is   a   nose  flute.      Ordinary   wooden   flutes 


UP   THE   KWILU    RIVER  255 

played  with  the  mouth  are  used  by  the  boys,  but  the 
girls  perform  upon  a  flute  which  is  played  by  the  nose. 
Needless  to  say  this  latter  flute  does  not  produce  much 
melody.  The  other  curious  instrument,  and  one  which  is 
found  among  several  of  the  peoples  visited,  is  the  friction 
drum.  This  consists  of  a  cylinder  of  wood  covered  at 
one  end  with  leather ;  through  this  leather  is  passed  a 
stick  running  through  the  wooden  cylinder,  so  fastened 
that  it  can  be  moved  an  inch  or  two,  to  and  fro  through 
the  leather.  Having  heated  the  membrane  of  the  drum 
to  draw  it  tight,  the  stick  is  vigorously  rubbed  with  wet 
leaves  and  it  produces  a  weird  growling  noise  which  can 
be  heard  at  a  great  distance,  and  which  has  earned  for 
the  friction  drum  among  some  tribes  the  title  of  the 
"village  leopard."  Torday  has  placed  specimens  of  this 
instrument,  collected  in  various  localities,  and  also  of  the 
nose  flute  in  the  British  Museum. 

Like  their  cousins  from  Luano  the  Bambala  around 
Kikwit  are  very  peaceable  and  are  chivalrous  even  in  their 
methods  of  war.  They  have  a  curious  habit  of  holding  a 
sort  of  tournament,  a  different  affair  to  serious  warfare. 
Should  two  villages  have  a  dispute  a  day  and  place  is 
appointed  for  a  battle.  The  bush  is  cleared  to  give  a 
fair  and  open  field,  and  the  warriors  of  each  side  turn  out 
to  settle  the  matter  in  the  lists.  Torday  has  witnessed 
some  of  these  encounters.  The  proceedings  commence 
with  a  good  deal  of  bombastic  speech,  and  the  champions 
of  either  village  hurl  insults  at  the  heads  of  their  op- 
ponents. "  Ah,  you,  there,  with  the  ugly  face,  I'll  give 
you  something   in   a  minute,"  and  other  similar  remarks 


256      LAND    AND    PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

are  bandied  about.  Then  the  arrows  begin  to  fly  (at  very 
long  ranges)  and  the  battle  is  in  full  swing.  Very  little 
damage  is  done  in  these  encounters.  Occasionally  one  or 
more  of  the  warriors  receive  scratches,  but  it  is  very  rare 
for  any  one  to  be  seriously  hurt,  and  at  the  conclusion  of 
the  engagement,  that  is  to  say  when  the  combatants  are 
weary,  there  is  no  ill-feeling  between  the  opposing  sides. 
If  a  man  should  happen  to  be  killed  the  affair  becomes 
much  more  serious  and  will  perhaps  develop  into  a 
serious  war,  in  which  the  conflicting  armies  will  attack 
one  another  whenever  they  meet,  and  which  will  certainly 
be  stubbornly  fought  out  with  considerable  losses  on 
either  side. 

The  gentle,  cheery,  happy-go-lucky  Bambala  are  the 
only  people  we  met  with  among  whom  such  feats  of  arms 
as  these  tournaments  take  place.  Although  a  more  friendly 
and  pleasant  people  to  deal  with  than  the  Bambala  it 
would  be  difiicult  to  imagine,  they  have  a  besetting  sin — 
that  of  gambling.  At  all  hours  of  the  day  groups  of  men 
may  be  seen  squatting  on  the  ground  in  the  village  street 
playing  a  game  more  or  less  closely  resembling  dice,  in 
which  small  pieces  of  ivory  are  shaken  up  in  a  cup  and 
thrown.  The  stakes  are  often  high,  so  high  that  a  man 
will  sometimes  lose  not  only  the  whole  of  his  property  and 
his  wives  but  even  his  own  liberty,  becoming  the  slave 
of  the  winner.  It  is  a  pity  that  this  vice  should  have  such 
a  hold  upon  the  Bambala,  who  are  in  every  other  respect 
a  delightful,  and,  furthermore,  a  promising  people ;  but 
gambling  is  their  curse,  as  hemp  smoking  is  the  curse  of 
the  Batetela.     During  the  few  days  we  spent  at  Kikwit  we 


Mm-' 

Till-;    I-'KICTION-IIKIM. 


Bamhai.a  ca.mhi.im 


UP   THE   KWILU   RIVER  257 

engaged  a  few  servants  locally,  and  enlisted  some  of  the 
northern  Bambala  who  came  on  by  the  steamer  from  Luano 
to  volunteer  for  service  with  us.  As  I  shall  have  to  say 
something  of  our  men  and  their  behaviour  during  our 
journey  from  the  Loange  to  the  Kasai,  I  may  here  give 
some  description  of  the  people  who  constituted  our 
party. 

My  little  Baluba  boy,  Sam,  had  now  become  the  major- 
domo  of  our  servants,  and  since  the  departure  of  Jones 
he  had  been  the  only  native  regularly  in  our  employ  with 
the  exception  of  our  cook.  Our  cook,  Luchima,  who  had 
served  us  faithfully  and  well  during  the  whole  of  our 
journey  up  to  this  time,  was  taken  so  ill  at  Kikwit  that 
it  became  apparent  that  he  would  be  quite  unfit  for  the 
hard  work  of  marching  by  day  and  attending  to  his  other 
duties  in  the  evenings  for  many  months  to  come.  We 
therefore  determined  that  he  should  return  by  steamer  to 
Dima,  and  thence  be  conveyed  to  his  home  at  Batempa, 
and  arranged  for  another  cook  to  be  sent  on  to  us  from 
Dima,  where  there  are  always  large  numbers  of  servants 
of  all  kinds  waiting  to  obtain  employment.  This  man, 
Mabruki,  was  really  an  Akela,  but  in  his  early  youth 
he  had  been  sold  as  a  slave  to  the  Batetela,  and  to  all 
intents  and  purposes  belonged  to  this  latter  tribe.  He 
was  by  no  means  an  ideal  cook,  and,  unfortunately,  his 
health  broke  down  just  when  we  most  needed  every  man 
that  we  could  obtain.  Torday  engaged  as  "  boy  "  a  very 
small  member  of  the  Bayanzi  tribe,  who  could  not  have 
been  more  than  eight  years  old  at  the  most.  This  child, 
Buya,  was  to  learn  his  duties  from  Sam,  and  he  displayed  an 


p. 


258      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

enthusiasm  for  his  work  and  an  intelligence  which  showed 
that  in  time  he  would  become  a  most  valuable  servant; 
but  at  the  time  when  he  entered  our  employ  he  was 
absolutely  ignorant  of  the  white  man  and  his  ways,  and 
thereby  caused  us  sometimes  no  little  amusement.  He 
used  to  linger  much  longer  than  was  necessary  in  Torday's 
tent  every  morning  when  making  the  bed,  and  we  discovered 
he  used  to  spend  many  happy  minutes  in  admiring  his 
countenance  in  Torday's  shaving-glass,  an  object  the  like 
of  which  he  had  never  seen  before.  I  remember,  too,  that 
he  was  always  getting  lost  during  our  stay  in  Kikwit,  for 
frequently  when  we  sent  him  upon  an  errand  he  would 
find  something  going  on  in  the  factory  which  amused  or 
interested  him,  and  he  would  forget  to  come  back  after 
delivering  his  message.  All  the  same  he  was  extremely 
useful  and  absolutely  honest,  the  only  thing  that  we  ever 
found  him  to  steal  being  the  dog's  dinner ;  for  although 
he  had  plenty  to  eat  himself,  being  a  Bayanzi,  and  there- 
fore gluttonous,  he  could  not  resist  the  temptation  to 
purloin  a  piece  of  meat.  We  also  engaged  another  youth 
of  about  twelve  years  of  age,  named  Benga.  This  lad  was 
rather  a  useless  person,  but  he  used  to  amuse  us  by  his 
frequent  disputes  with  Buy  a.  The  Bayanzi  tribe  are 
cannibals ;  the  Bapende,  to  which  Benga  belonged,  are 
not ;  and  we  once  overheard  the  following  conversation  on 
the  subject  of  cannibalism,  "  You  Bapende,"  scornfully 
remarked  Buya,  "you  kill  dogs  to  eat  them."  "Well," 
replied  Benga,  "  you  Bayanzi  can't  talk ;  you  eat  men." 
This  remark  caused  an  outburst  of  indignation  on  the  part 
of  the  little  cannibal.      "  It    is   all   very   well   to  eat  your 


UP   THE   KWILU  RIVER  259 

enemies  when  you  have  killed  them  in  battle — is  not  that 
quite  a  natural  thing  to  do  ? — but  no  decent  person  would 
think  of  eating  his  friend.  You  Bapende  think  nothing 
of  eating  dogs,  the  greatest  friend  of  man."  Buya,  I  am 
afraid,  was  so  disgusted  at  the  idea  of  eating  dogs,  that 
he  flavoured  his  remarks  about  the  Bapende  tribe  with 
a  good  many  expressions  such  as  a  European  lad  of  his 
age  might  well  be  expected  not  to  know  the  use  of.  We 
engaged  four  of  the  southern  Bambala  from  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Kikwit  to  accompany  us  as  body-servants  to  carry 
our  guns  when  out  shooting,  and  our  cameras,  water- 
bottles,  &c.  when  on  the  march.  Torday  had  the  greatest 
difficulty  in  preventing  large  numbers  of  these  people  from 
joining  our  expedition,  for,  as  I  have  said,  whole  villages 
of  them  desired  to  go  with  us  to  the  Kasai,  so  that  when 
we  left  Kikwit  we  had  to  start  some  few  days  earlier  than 
the  date  upon  which  we  had  told  the  local  natives  we 
should  commence  our  journey.  The  four  men  whom  we 
took  with  us  were  extremely  useful  followers  during  the 
months  they  were  in  our  employ,  and  as  I  shall  have 
occasion  frequently  to  refer  to  them,  I  must  give  their 
names.  Mayuyu,  a  fine  tall  young  man  of  about  twenty- 
two  years  old,  habitually  carried  Torday's  gun.  This  man 
was  perhaps  the  most  intelligent  of  our  servants,  and,  as 
my  narrative  will  show,  his  popularity  with  the  people  in 
whose  country  we  passed  through  contributed  largely  to 
the  success  of  our  journey.  Mokenye,  my  own  gun-bearer, 
though  not  so  tall  as  Mayuyu,  was  a  splendid  specimen 
of  a  man.  Very  powerfully  built  and  possessed  of  great 
endurance,  he  never  seemed  to  feel  fatigue,  and  his  obliging 


i6o      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

and  cheerful  disposition  made  him  one  of  our  most  valuable 
servants.  The  other  two  were  named  Molele  and  Moame, 
From  among  the  northern  Bambala  of  Luana  we  selected 
eighteen  men,  all  of  whom  Torday  had  previously  known. 
These  eighteen  we  hoped  would  be  just  sufficient  to  carry 
the  absolute  necessities  of  life  and  some  of  the  objects  we 
were  going  to  collect  for  the  Museum  in  case  we  should  be 
obliged  to  retreat  hurriedly  from  the  unknown  country  of 
the  Bakongo  and  Bashilele.  We  appointed  one  of  these 
men,  by  name  Kimbangala,  to  act  as  headman  or  capita. 
The  factory  of  Kikwit  made  an  excellent  starting-point  for 
a  journey  eastwards  towards  the  Kasai.  A  steamer  comes 
up  the  Kwilu  every  ten  days  from  Dima,  and  deposits 
at  Kikwit  the  stores  and  merchandise  required  for  several 
other  factories  within  a  radius  of  about  five  or  six  days* 
journey.  Between  the  Kwilu  and  the  Loange  rivers  are 
situated  three  factories  belonging  to  the  Kasai  Company : 
Athenes  (or  Alela,  as  it  is  called  by  the  natives)  lies  in  the 
country  of  the  Babunda  tribe,  near  to  the  upper  waters 
of  the  Kancha  River ;  Dumba  and  Bienge  are  factories 
situated  upon  the  Lubue.  Caravans  are  frequently  sent 
from  Kikwit  to  each  of  these  three  factories.  Our  plan 
was  to  proceed  to  Alela,  where  Torday  could  carry  on  the 
study  of  the  Babunda  people,  commenced  years  ago  by  his 
compatriot,  the  Hungarian  Ladislaus  Magyar,  and  from 
thence  we  intended  to  proceed  to  Dumba,  where  we  should 
find  the  stores  sent  on  from  Dima,  and  where  we  hoped 
to  obtain  some  information  concerning  the  Bakongo  people 
which  would  enable  us  to  definitely  fix  upon  some  plan  for 
crossing  the  Loange  and  entering  their  territory.      Both  at 


UP   THE   KWILU   RIVER  261 

Alela  and  at  Dumba  we  could  keep  in  touch  with  the 
outside  world  by  sending  messengers  to  Kikwit.  Before 
leaving  the  Kwilu  we  gave  an  exhibition  to  a  large  number 
of  Bambala  of  one  of  the  clock-work  elephants  which  we 
had  recently  received  from  London.  Torday  had  ordered 
these  toys  partly  in  the  hope  that  some  chief  would  covet 
them  so  much  as  to  exchange  curios  for  them  which  other- 
wise we  should  not  be  able  to  obtain,  and  partly  because 
he  thought  it  quite  likely  that  the  natives,  who,  of  course, 
had  never  seen  an  automatic  toy  before,  might  attribute 
magical  powers  to  the  elephants,  which  they  would  most 
probably  regard  as  the  charm  or  fetish  which  watched  over 
and  protected  us.  The  reception  which  the  elephant  met 
with  at  Kikwit  certainly  showed  us  that  we  had  done  well  to 
have  it  sent  out.  The  people  were  simply  amazed  at  it. 
As  the  little  toy,  only  some  eight  inches  in  height,  having 
secretly  been  wound  up  in  the  seclusion  of  the  tent,  walked 
along  the  smooth  top  of  a  provision-box  .waving  its  trunk, 
the  natives  shrank  away  from  it,  holding  their  hands  over 
their  mouths  and  gasping  with  astonishment.  Immediately 
after  seeing  it  several  people  desired  to  purchase  it,  but 
there  was  not  one  man  in  the  crowd  who  could  be  induced 
to  touch  it.  Evidently  the  Bambala  believed  that  it  was 
the  most  potent  fetish  they  had  ever  seen.  We  did  not 
display  the  elephant  to  every  one  who  came  to  see  us  in 
the  hope  of  getting  a  glimpse  of  it,  for  we  were  afraid 
that  the  awe  which  it  inspired  might  be  lessened  if  we 
allowed  it  to  become  too  common  a  spectacle.  We  there- 
fore showed  it  only  upon  one  or  two  occasions,  and  made 
a  great  favour  of  letting  it  walk   at  all.     We  were  now 


262      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

confident  that  we  had  a  powerful  ally  in  the  elephant, 
which  might  very  likely  prove  more  useful  in  the  event 
of  trouble  with  the  natives  than  the  ten  military  rifles 
which  had  not  been  unpacked  during  the  earlier  part 
of  our  journey,  and  which  we  now  left  at  Kikwit  to  be 
forwarded  to  us  at  Dumba  should  we  send  for  them. 

When  we  crossed  the  Kwilu  and  started  off  towards 
Alela  our  way  lay  for  some  miles  in  a  southerly  direction 
almost  parallel  to  the  river,  and  accordingly  we  marched  for 
a  considerable  distance  through  the  forest  which  borders  the 
stream,  but  which  is  really  only  about  ten  miles  in  width 
opposite  to  Kikwit,  and  gives  place  to  a  very  hilly  grass 
country,  plentifully  studded  with  trees.  We  passed  through 
several  villages  occupied  by  Bambala,  in  one  or  two  of  which 
we  exhibited  the  "  elephant,"  always  producing  the  greatest 
astonishment  among  the  natives ;  but  the  territory  of  the 
Babunda  begins  at  no  great  distance  from  the  Kwilu,  and 
after  two  very  easy  stages  we  arrived  in  their  country. 
There  we  found  villages  very  different  from  any  that  we  had 
yet  visited.  Instead  of  building  their  huts  in  a  group,  the 
Babunda  live  in  the  midst  of  their  plantations,  and  accord- 
ingly the  villages  cover  a  great  many  acres  of  ground,  some 
even  extending  to  a  couple  of  miles  in  length.  They  are 
usually  situated  in  a  valley,  and  seen  from  a  distance  nestling 
at  the  foot  of  grassy  slopes,  which  are  here  quite  devoid  of 
trees,  they  almost  remind  one  of  a  village  of  the  Sussex 
Downs.  The  huts  themselves,  dotted  about  with  their  fowl- 
houses  and  granaries  in  the  millet  fields,  are  square,  and  they 
have  their  doors  so  high  above  the  ground  that  a  little  plat- 
form is  built  outside  the  entrance,  by  means  of  which  the 


A   I!Ai!iT\nA  uri-. 


Hakunha  i'ortkks  knterim;  Athknes. 


UP   THE   KWILU   RIVER  263 

occupants  can  climb  into  the  hut,  and  upon  which  the 
people  sit  and  smoke  their  pipes  in  the  evenings.  The 
Babunda  have  enormous  plantations,  so  that  food  is  easily 
and  cheaply  obtainable  in  the  country.  We  were  welcomed 
cordially  in  every  village,  crowds  of  people  meeting  us  on 
the  road  and  accompanying  us  to  our  camping  ground, 
singing  in  low  and  quite  musical  voices,  for,  like  the  neigh- 
bouring Bambala,  the  Babunda  sing  very  well  indeed.  On 
our  way  we  passed  through  two  villages,  between  which  a 
state  of  war  existed,  and  we  spent  a  night  in  one  of  them. 
One  might  have  expected  that  one  would  find  excitement 
raging  in  these  villages,  and  to  find  some  evidence  of  recent 
fighting.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  we  noticed  very  little  out  of 
the  common  taking  place  in  either  village ;  all  the  men 
carried  bows,  but  that  is  usual  with  the  Babunda,  so  that  it 
need  not  indicate  that  any  hostilities  were  contemplated. 
When  we  arrived  at  the  second  of  the  two  villages  the  chief 
welcomed  us  and  conducted  us  to  a  shed  beneath  which  we 
could  rest,  and  then  asked  us  to  excuse  him  from  entertain- 
ing us,  as  he  was  extremely  busy  making  arrangements  for  a 
war  !  The  last  thing  that  he  appeared  to  be  preparing  for  was 
a  breach  of  the  peace.  He  seemed  to  be  going  round  collect- 
ing quantities  of  the  salt,  neatly  wrapped  up  in  banana 
leaves,  which  is  used  so  largely  as  currency  in  this  district, 
and  handing  them  over  to  a  woman.  We  discovered,  upon 
questioning  the  natives,  that  a  man  of  this  place  had  been 
killed  in  quarrel  by  a  native  from  the  neighbouring  village 
through  which  we  had  passed.  As  is  usual  in  such  cases, 
no  immediate  attempt  at  reprisals  had  been  made,  but  the 
chief  of  the  murdered  man's  village  had  demanded  the  pay- 


264      LAND   AND    PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

ment  of  a  heavy  indemnity  for  the  slaying  of  his  subject, 
threatening,  in  case  the  damage  should  not  be  forthcoming, 
to  declare  war.  The  sum  demanded  had  not  been  paid,  and 
accordingly  the  chief  in  whose  village  we  were  staying  was 
obliged  himself  to  pay  damages  to  the  relatives  of  the 
murdered  man,  and  had  told  his  warriors  to  hold  themselves 
in  readiness  to  commence  hostilities  with  the  offending 
village.  At  the  time  of  our  arrival  the  dead  man  had  not 
been  buried,  and  a  number  of  women  were  singing  a  funeral 
dirge  around  the  hut  in  which  the  body  was  laid.  During 
the  evening  and  the  night  which  followed  we  observed  no 
posting  of  sentries  or  any  other  similar  indication  that  a 
state  of  war  existed,  and  we  subsequently  learned  that  the 
affair  had  been  settled  by  the  ultimate  payment  of  the  in- 
demnity by  the  village  of  the  murderer.  Little  inter-village 
disputes  such  as  these  are  of  frequent  occurrence,  but  they 
rarely  lead  to  serious  fighting,  and  any  casual  traveller 
passing  through  the  belligerent  villages  might  usually  fail  to 
notice  that  anything  extraordinary  was  going  on.  White  men 
or  their  servants  are,  as  a  rule,  allowed  to  travel  through 
districts  where  a  state  of  war  exists  without  any  molestation 
whatever,  for  the  natives  are  quite  content  to  keep  their 
differences  to  themselves,  and  strictly  respect  the  neutrality 
of  the  white  man.  Some  days  after  we  had  passed  through 
this  district,  a  new  European  agent  of  the  Kasai  Company 
followed  in  our  footsteps  to  commence  his  work  at  Alela. 
This  young  man  had  not  been  long  enough  in  Africa  to 
learn  anything  of  a  native  language,  and  when  his  boy  at- 
tempted to  explain  to  him  that  there  was  trouble  between 
the  two  villages  which  I  have  mentioned,  he  failed  to  under- 


UP  THE   KWILU   RIVER  265 

stand  what  he  was  told.  The  boy  thereupon  resorted  to 
signs,  and,  taking  a  bow,  he  tried  to  explain  to  the  white 
man  that  fighting  was  likely  to  take  place  ;  the  young  man, 
however,  imagined  from  his  gesticulations  that  some  attack 
might  be  contemplated  upon  himself  and  his  caravan.  He 
therefore  passed  an  anxious  and,  I  believe,  a  sleepless  night, 
and  fully  believed  when  we  met  him  some  days  later  that  he 
had  had  a  very  fortunate  escape  from  a  dangerous  situation. 
We  arrived  at  Alela,  which  lies  about  seventy  miles  to 
the  south-south-east  of  Kikwit,  upon  the  fifth  day  after 
crossing  the  Kwilu.  The  country  around  the  village  is 
entirely  devoid  of  trees,  except  for  a  number  of  palms  in 
the  Babunda  villages,  and  consists  of  a  plateau  between  the 
hilly  country  which  we  passed  through  after  crossing  the 
Kwilu,  and  the  even  more  hilly  district  to  the  eastv*^ards 
through  which  the  river  Lubue  flows.  In  this  part  of  the 
world  there  is  practically  no  game  whatsoever  ;  the  elephants 
which  are  to  be  found  near  the  Kwilu  do  not  forsake  the 
woodlands  which  surround  that  river ;  buffaloes  do  not 
exist  between  the  Loange  and  the  Kwilu,  and  antelopes,  even 
the  almost  ubiquitous  duiker,  are  very  rarely  seen.  The 
country  therefore  around  Alela  is  by  no  means  a  sports- 
man's paradise.  The  Kasai  Company's  factory,  Athenes,  is 
situated  only  two  or  three  hundred  yards  from  the  Babunda 
village  of  Alela,  and,  the  European  agent  having  allowed  us 
the  use  of  an  empty  building  in  which  we  could  develop 
photographs,  &c.,  we  pitched  our  camp  in  the  factory,  going 
over  daily  to  the  native  village  to  carry  on  our  work  among 
the  people.  The  Babunda  are  a  fine  stalwart  race  of  men  ; 
they  are  the  blackest  of  any  of  the  negroes  with  whom  we 


266      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

have  come  in  contact,  and  they  do  not  cover  their  persons 
with  any  kind  of  dye.  The  most  remarkable  thing  about 
their  appearance  is  the  quantity  of  hair  which  the  men 
possess  (the  women  cut  their  hair  short),  and  the  great 
variety  of  ways  in  which  they  dress  it.  Sometimes  it  hangs 
in  a  great  plaited  mass  down  the  back  of  their  necks,  at 
others  it  is  arranged  in  tufts  running  backwards  from  the 
forehead  suggestive  of  the  comb  of  a  cock,  but  always  it  is 
dressed  and  oiled  with  the  greatest  care  ;  many  of  the  young 
Babunda  dandies  make  caps  of  palm  cloth  to  fit  their  head- 
dress in  order  that  their  hair  may  not  become  ruffled  by 
the  wind.  Although  we  were  very  well  received  by  the 
Babunda,  we  found  them  extremely  reticent  upon  all  matters 
connected  with  their  tribal  customs  or  beliefs,  and  they  were 
by  no  means  so  anxious  to  sell  us  objects  for  the  Museum  as 
we  could  wish.  Many  of  them  offered  to  sell  us  rubber, 
and  one  man  remarked  that  if  we  would  not  buy  rubber  we 
were  no  friends  of  the  people.  The  rubber  trade  is  carried 
on  in  this  district  in  rather  a  peculiar  manner.  In  most 
other  places  the  native,  when  he  requires  any  of  the  com- 
modities that  the  white  man  sells,  collects  some  rubber  and 
takes  it  to  a  factory ;  but  among  the  Babunda,  however,  and 
their  neighbours  the  Bapindji,  rubber  is  used  as  a  currency, 
and  a  weekly  market  is  held  out  in  the  open  plains  to  the 
west  of  Alela,  where  the  natives  exchange  rubber  for  other 
goods  or  food-stuffs  among  themselves.  The  rubber  therefore 
is  not,  as  a  rule,  brought  to  the  white  man  by  the  native  who 
has  collected  it,  and  the  greatest  care  is  taken  by  the  people 
that  the  European  should  not  be  allowed  to  attend  one  of  these 
markets  and  so  ascertain  the  price  at  which  it  there  changes 


UP  THE   KWILU   RIVER  267 

hands.  It  would  be  extremely  dangerous  for  a  white  man 
to  attempt  to  intrude  at  one  of  these  gatherings,  for  the 
Babunda  are  a  warlike  race,  and  they  would  be  very  likely  to 
attack  the  trader  if  they  thought  he  was  spying  upon  them 
in  order  to  find  out  how  cheaply  they  sold  the  rubber  among 
themselves.  During  a  journey  of  a  week's  duration  which 
we  made  to  the  west  of  Alela,  we  passed  by  one  of  these 
markets.  The  crowds  of  people  were  scattered  about  in 
little  groups  over  an  extensive  area  of  the  plain,  but  when 
we  attempted  to  approach  them  we  were  peremptorily  told 
that  we  were  not  wanted.  We  were  anxious,  of  course,  to 
avoid  any  dispute  with  the  Babunda,  with  whom  we  were 
endeavouring  to  become  friendly,  and  we  accordingly  passed 
on  without  appearing  to  take  any  notice  of  the  market. 
We  subsequently  learned  that  fighting  between  the  members 
of  the  various  villages  is  by  no  means  rare  at  these 
gatherings. 

During  our  week's  journey  to  the  west  we  visited  a 
number  of  Babunda  villages,  one  of  which,  a  very  large  one, 
had  been  the  scene  some  few  years  before  of  some  trouble 
between  the  natives  and  a  European.  Owing  to  some 
misunderstanding,  which  arose,  I  believe,  from  the  fact  that 
the  white  man  was  accompanied  by  a  large  number  of 
followers,  the  people  of  this  village,  Mokulu,  were  under 
the  impression  that  the  traveller  intended  to  attack  them, 
and  accordingly  they  had  commenced  hostilities  by  attack- 
ing him.  The  white  man,  although  he  had  a  number  of 
rifles  with  him,  had  to  give  way  before  the  warlike  Babunda  ; 
and  although,  I  believe,  there  were  few,  if  any,  casualties  on 
either  side,  the  Babunda  were  certainly  under  the  impres- 


268      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

sion  that  they  gained  a  glorious  victory.  The  chief, 
Mokulu,  therefore  possesses  a  very  high  idea  of  his  own  im- 
portance and  military  strength.  We  visited  this  man  in  the 
hope  that  he  would  use  his  influence,  which  was  undoubtedly 
great,  to  induce  the  natives  to  sell  us  a  number  of  objects 
for  the  British  Museum.  When  we  arrived  in  the  village 
he  welcomed  us  cordially,  but  very  quickly  broached  the 
subject  of  an  exchange  of  presents,  mentioning  the  fact 
that  he  was  a  very  important  personage,  and  that  he  hoped 
we  would  remember  this  in  selecting  the  present  we  should 
give  him  in  exchange  for  the  goat  and  chickens  which  he 
offered  us.  We  gave  him  a  pretty  substantial  present,  and 
then  began  to  discuss  the  purchase  of  curios.  Mokulu 
assured  us  that  there  were  many  of  the  objects  we  required, 
such  as  carved  wooden  cups,  embroidered  cloth,  weapons, 
&c.,  in  the  village,  and  that  if  we  would  give  him  a  further 
present  he  would  certainly  be  able  to  secure  us  a  great  many 
of  them.  We  therefore  promised  him  a  present,  and  he 
departed  into  the  village  ostensibly  with  the  purpose  of  re- 
questing his  subjects  to  deal  with  us.  Shortly  afterwards  he 
returned,  but  no  one  brought  us  any  curios  for  sale,  and 
upon  our  inquiring  if  he  had  been  unable  to  find  any,  he 
simply  laughed  and  said,  "  O  yes ;  the  objects  are  coming 
now,"  and  left  us.  After  this  had  happened  three  or  four 
times  he  asked  us  to  give  him  a  present  in  advance,  and  hav- 
ing received  it  he  again  returned  to  the  village,  but  came  back 
empty-handed.  Whenever  we  mentioned  the  subject  of 
curios  to  him,  he  simply  laughed  and  looked  at  us  with  a 
twinkle  in  his  eye,  and  not  one  object  could  we  buy  in  his 
village.      The  fact  is  he  had  not  the  slightest  intention  of 


UP  THE   KWILU   RIVER  269 

helping  us  in  any  way,  and  he  had  certainly  swindled  us  of  the 
goods  we  had  given  him.  As  a  rule,  of  course,  it  is  far  wiser 
never  to  give  a  present  to  a  chief  until  one  is  quite  certain 
what  one  will  get  in  exchange  for  it,  but  in  this  case  we 
knew  that  if  we  did  not  treat  Mokulu  handsomely  we 
should  stand  no  chance  whatever  of  obtaining  anything 
from  him.  We  therefore  speculated,  and  lost ;  and  I 
think  that  Mokulu  was  far  more  pleased  at  the  knowledge 
that  he  had  cheated  us  than  he  was  with  the  goods  we  had 
given  him. 

After  leaving  Mokulu's  village  we  came  once  more  to 
the  banks  of  the  Kwilu  where  dwell  the  Bapindji  tribe,  and 
stayed  at  a  village  called  Bondo.  The  scenery  here  is  remark- 
ably fine ;  the  Kwilu,  which  is  at  this  point  not  more  than 
one  hundred  yards  wide,  rushes  swiftly  through  a  cleft  or 
ravine  in  the  plateau  about  nine  hundred  feet  in  depth  and 
a  mile  and  a  half  to  two  miles  at  the  summit.  The  sur- 
rounding country  consists  of  grass  land  thickly  studded 
with  stunted  trees,  and  only  upon  the  very  banks  of  the 
river  is  there  any  woodland.  Here,  however,  there  is  a 
mass  of  luxuriant  vegetation,  and  the  stream  rushes  violently 
over  a  rocky  bed  beneath  the  shade  of  numbers  of  palm- 
trees.  Just  at  Bondo  the  rocks  practically  put  the  course  of 
the  river  into  a  series  of  rapids  or  falls,  the  roar  of  which  can 
be  heard  at  some  miles'  distance  in  the  calm  of  the  tropical 
evening.  We  strolled  down  from  the  village  to  photograph 
some  of  these  falls  in  the  company  of  one  or  two  native  lads. 
When  we  reached  the  water's  edge  these  boys  stepped  into  the 
river  with,  as  we  thought,  the  object  of  washing  their  feet. 
Suddenly  one  of  them  sprang  into  the  stream  with  a  cry,  was 


270      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

caught  by  the  rush  of  water,  and  swept  downwards  towards 
some  rocks  at  a  terrific  pace.  The  whole  thing  happened  in 
a  moment,  and  we  thought  that  the  boy  was  drowned  before 
either  of  us  had  time  to  do  anything  ;  but  when  he  neared  the 
rocks  the  current  turned  him  towards  the  slack  water  near 
the  banks,  and  with  a  few  powerful  strokes  he  swam  out  of 
the  stream  into  the  still  waters,  and  thence  calmly  walked 
ashore.  Seeing  our  look  of  astonishment  at  his  safe  return, 
the  lad  merely  laughed  and  remarked  that  if  one  knew  the 
currents  one  could  always  allow  oneself  to  be  swept  down- 
wards in  the  rapids  with  a  certainty  of  regaining  the  still 
waters  a  little  lower  down,  and  he  told  us  that  the  practice 
of  this  swimming  feat  was  one  of  the  pastimes  of  the  boys 
of  Bondo.  To  show  us  that  he  was  not  exaggerating  he 
went  through  the  performance  two  or  three  times,  and 
I  have  never  seen  any  feat  which  it  appeared  must 
so  certainly  end  in  destruction,  and  yet  which,  the  native 
informed  us,  is  in  reality  remarkably  easy.  Whether  or 
not  it  is  easy  the  Bapindji  must  be  distinctly  fine  swimmers 
to  attempt  it.  The  chief  of  Bondo,  which,  by  the  way,  is 
an  extremely  beautiful  village  with  its  picturesque  grass 
huts  and  their  little  granaries  suspended  upon  poles  to  keep 
the  food-stufFs  safe  from  the  attacks  of  mice,  was  an  old 
and  very  decrepit  man  with  a  remarkably  suspicious  nature. 
He  was  much  impressed  with  the  exhibition  that  we  gave 
him  of  our  fetish,  the  walking  elephant,  and  in  the  evening 
he  came  privately  to  us  and  offered  to  buy  it.  He  told  us 
that  owing  to  his  infirmities  he  was  unable  to  go  about  his 
village  as  much  as  he  should  wish,  and  he  had  no  doubt 
that  many  things  were  said  about  him  behind  his  back  which 


UP   THE   KWILU   RIVER  271 

he  would  like  to  overhear,  and  which  would  not  be  said  if 
he  were  able  to  go  about  more  among  his  subjects.     If  he 
possessed  the  elephant  he  could  send  it  out  in  the  evenings 
to   walk   around    the  village,  where  it  could  spy  upon  his 
people,  and  upon  its  return  could  report  to  him  any  plots 
against    his   authority   which   might    be  hatched.      As    we 
possessed  two  of  these   elephants,  Torday  thought  it  just 
possible  there  might  at  Bondo  be  some  strange  fetish  or  other 
object  which  we  had  not  yet  seen,  and  which  we  should  like 
to  secure  for  the  British  Museum.      He  therefore  told  the 
chief  that  he  might  possibly  be  induced  to   part  with  the 
elephant  if  anything  that  he  specially  desired  was  offered  in 
exchange  for  it.     The  chief  thereupon  commenced  to  offer 
us  all  manner  of  objects,  none  of  which  wxre  of  sufficient 
interest  to  induce  us  to  part  with  the  toy,  and  finally  he 
said  he  would  give  us  quite  a  large  quantity  of  ivory  or  one 
or  two  slaves  in  exchange  for  it.     No  doubt  we  should  have 
been  commercially  the  gainers  had  we  accepted  the  offer  of 
the  tusks,  but  we  had  not  come  to  Africa  to  trade  in  ivory, 
and  we  did  not  wish  to  compete  with  the  Kasai  Company  in 
this  matter  ;  so  we  decided  not  to  sell  the  elephant  at  Bondo, 
and  it  turned  out   lucky  for  us  that  we  retained  both  the 
toys  until  we  reached  the  unknown  country.     The  Bapindji, 
who  in  appearance  closely  resemble  the  clay-covered  Bam- 
bala,  are,  as  a   rule,  a  very  peaceful  people,  but   not   long 
before  our  visit  they  had  played  a  joke  upon  a  trader  who 
had,  it  appears,  shown  some  nervousness  in  visiting  them. 
They  had  crowded  round  him  in  the  village,  and  had  com- 
menced to  touch  and  examine  his  baggage,  thinking  that  he 
was  afraid  of  them  because  he  did  not  object  to  their  doing  so. 


272      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

They  quickly  passed  on  from  touching  his  clothing,  and  finally 
when  the  five  armed  men  who  accompanied  him  had  thrown 
down  their  rifles  and  fled,  the  natives  proceeded  to  remove 
his  hat  and  pull  his  hair  !  After  this  they  stole  all  his  belong- 
ings and  ordered  him  out  of  the  village.  Two  or  three  days 
later  they  returned  to  him  everything  that  they  had  stolen  in 
perfect  safety,  for  they  had  only  purloined  the  goods  to 
frighten  him,  and  had  doubtless  thoroughlyenjoyed  what  they 
regarded  as  an  excellent  joke.  The  natives  of  this  part  of 
Africa  are  rather  partial  to  practical  jokes,  sometimes  of  rather 
a  grim  character.  I  have  heard  a  story  of  a  certain  powerful 
chief,  Yongo,  threatening  two  white  men,  whose  followers 
had  deserted  them,  with  instant  death  if  they  did  not  retire 
into  a  hut  in  his  village  and  remain  there  as  his  prisoners.  All 
day  long  this  hut  was  closely  guarded  by  armed  warriors, 
but  in  the  night  when  the  travellers  cautiously  peered  from 
the  doorway  they  discovered  that  all  the  guards  had  been 
removed,  leaving  them  free  to  escape,  but  that  over  the  door- 
way was  suspended  a  human  ham,  left  there,  doubtless,  to 
give  them  one  more  unpleasant  surprise  before  they  made 
the  escape  which  no  one  hindered  them  from  attempting. 

Upon  our  return  to  Alela  after  our  trip  in  the  Bapindji 
country,  we  had  to  wait  for  several  days  for  the  arrival  of 
stores  which  we  had  left  at  Kikwit,  and  during  this  time 
we  did  all  the  work  we  could  among  the  local  Babunda, 
but  owing  to  their  extraordinary  reticence,  the  results  of 
Torday's  researches  among  them  are  meagre  compared  with 
those  obtained  among  the  Bushongo.  Although  almost 
every  evening  singing  in  the  village  told  us  that  some  cere- 
mony was  in  progress,  we  could  see  very  little  of  what  was 
going   on,  and   the   only  event   of  any  particular   interest 


UP   THE   KWILU   RIVER  273 

which  we  witnessed  was  a  funeral.  The  body,  wrapped 
from  head  to  foot  in  palm  cloth,  was  laid  out  in  a  hut, 
around  which  the  mourners  were  wailing  and  playing  small 
rattles,  the  men  covered  with  a  red  dye  and  the  women 
with  ashes.  After  some  hours  of  weeping,  in  which  a  great 
number  of  persons  took  part,  the  corpse  was  carried  out  of 
the  village  and  buried  in  the  plains,  where  nothing  but  an 
old  cooking-pot  was  left  to  mark  the  last  resting-place  of 
the  dead.  While  waiting  at  Alela  we  were  able  to  form 
some  estimate  of  the  skill  which  our  followers  possessed 
in  the  use  of  bows  and  arrows.  We  invited  a  few 
Babunda  who  happened  to  be  passing  to  take  part  in  a 
shooting  contest,  and  the  rivalry  between  the  various  tribes 
of  which  our  caravan  contained  representatives  and  the 
local  marksmen  became  extremely  keen.  We  found  that 
all  our  people,  including  little  Buya,  were  remarkably  good 
shots,  and  the  rapidity  with  which  they  could  loose  off  their 
arrows  was  extraordinary.  We  noticed  that  some  of  the 
Babunda  shot  in  a  kneeling  position,  and  that  our  four 
southern  Bambala  possessed  a  curious  method  of  defence, 
in  which  they  used  their  bows  as  shields.  Torday  had 
previously  noticed  this  custom,  and,  taking  a  blunt  arrow, 
we  put  it  to  the  test.  My  gun-bearer,  Mokenye,  gave  us 
a  demonstration  of  it.  We  threw  the  arrow  at  him,  and, 
as  it  approached,  with  a  sharp  turn  of  the  wrist  he  struck 
it  aside  with  his  bow,  and  so  skilful  was  he  in  warding  off 
the  missile  that  only  once  did  we  succeed  in  getting  an 
arrow  through  his  guard.  Of  course  this  method  of 
defence  would  be  by  no  means  certain  against  an  arrow 
which,  having  been  shot  at  a  short  range,  was  travelling  at 

s 


274      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

a  great  pace ;  but  the  Bambala  assured  us  that  they  could 
really  be  sure  of  defending  themselves  from  arrows  which 
were  moving  less  swiftly  at  the  end  of  a  long  flight.  The 
result  of  our  shooting  competition  was  that  we  learned  we 
could  depend  upon  our  followers  to  at  least  hold  their  own 
with  their  national  weapons  should  we  have  the  misfortune 
to  be  attacked  by  the  Bakongo  or  Bashilele.  Alela,  like 
the  whole  of  the  Kwilu  region,  is  a  comparatively  healthy 
spot.  In  this  district  there  are  few  mosquitos  (upon  the 
shores  of  the  Kwilu  there  are  practically  none),  and  the 
tsetse  fly  appears  to  be  so  rare  that  we  often  wondered 
whether  the  great  plains  around  Alela  could  not  be  turned 
into  a  pasturage  for  domestic  cattle  if  the  beasts  could  be 
brought  into  the  country  without  bringing  the  fly  with 
them.  In  the  whole  of  the  country  we  visited  during  our 
two  years'  journey  domestic  cattle  are  not  to  be  found,  with 
the  exception  of  a  few  head  imported  by  the  white  man  at 
Lusambo  and  Dima.  Further  to  the  south,  however,  near 
the  Portuguese  frontier,  the  natives  breed  a  certain  number 
of  these  animals,  and  also  sheep.  At  the  present  moment 
the  only  domestic  creatures  which  the  natives  keep  in  those 
parts  of  the  Kasai  which  we  visited  are  chickens  and  goats, 
although  a  few  sheep,  which  have  been  imported  from  the 
south,  are  here  and  there  to  be  found.  Although,  owing 
to  the  lack  of  shade,  the  sun  at  Alela  can  be  very  trying, 
there  is  often  a  cooling  breeze  sweeping  over  the  plateau  which 
serves  to  temper  the  fierce  heat,  and  at  the  time  we  left  Alela 
— that  is  to  say,  at  the  end  of  April  1909 — rainstorms  and 
tornadoes  were  of  frequent  occurrence,  the  rainy  season  having 
continued,  so  we  were  informed,  rather  later  than  usual. 


CHAPTER    VIII 

INTO  THE   UNKNOWN   COUNTRY 

As  soon  as  our  loads  and  a  European  mail — the  last  which 
we  should  see  for  some  time  to  come — had  arrived  from 
Kikwit,  we  engaged  a  number  of  Babunda  porters  and 
started  off  to  the  Kasai  Company's  factory  of  Dumba  upon 
the  banks  of  the  Lubue,  a  journey  which  we  accomplished 
in  two  long  stages.  Upon  the  morning  of  the  second  day 
we  crossed  the  Lubue,  and  then  turned  northwards,  follow- 
ing its  right  bank  to  the  factory.  The  river  where  we 
crossed  it  is  only  about  thirty  yards  wide,  and  is  broken  up 
into  rapids  by  great  masses  of  rock  in  its  bed,  over  which 
a  rough  bridge  of  poles  has  been  erected.  When  we 
reached  the  valley  of  the  Lubue  we  left  the  high  plateau 
which  exists  between  that  river  and  the  Kwilu  and  entered 
a  very  hilly  country.  At  Dumba  the  Lubue  is  about  forty 
yards  in  width,  and  there  is  no  strip  of  forest  upon  its 
banks.  The  hills  rise  sheer  from  the  water's  edge  to  a 
height  of  three  or  four  hundred  feet  above  the  river,  and 
behind  them  the  steep  undulations  attain  a  height  of  fully 
twelve  hundred  feet  above  the  stream.  The  country  here 
consists  of  grass  land  studded  with  large  numbers  of  those 
stunted  trees  which  around  Alela  are  conspicuous  by  their 
absence.  Between  Dumba  and  the  point  where  the  Lubue 
falls  into  the  Kasai  the  river  is  unbroken  by  rapids,  so  that 

275 


276      LAND   AND    PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

a  canoe  or  iron  whale  boat  can  ply  between  Dumba  and  the 
factory  called  Lubue  upon  the  Kasai,  but  the  stream  is  so 
strong  that  it  takes  a  well-manned  boat  eight  days  to  reach 
Dumba  from  the  main  river,  and  the  journey  is  by  no 
means  a  pleasant  one,  for  the  Badinga,  who  inhabit  the 
country  near  to  the  Kasai,  are  very  hostile  to  the  white 
man,  and  will  not  sell  any  food  to  a  traveller  ascending  or 
descending  the  Lubue  ;  in  addition  to  this  there  is  always 
quite  a  possibility  that  they  might  attack  him.  The  factory 
of  Dumba  lies  upon  the  bank  of  the  river  closely  sur- 
rounded by  hills,  and  owing  to  this  enclosed  situation  the 
heat  there  is  far  more  oppressive  than  upon  the  wind-swept 
uplands  of  Alela,  and  although  the  Kasai  Company  have 
been  installed  there  only  four  years,  two  little  crosses  in  a 
neatly  kept  space  just  outside  the  factory  indicate  that  the 
place  is  unhealthy  for  the  white  man.  But  excepting  for 
the  climate  the  post  of  Dumba  appeared  to  us  to  be  just 
what  a  Congolese  factory  should  be  ;  this  is  owing  to  the 
untiring  energy  of  the  agent  who  was  in  charge  of  it  at  the 
time  of  our  visit.  Monsieur  Bombeecke  is  one  of  those 
happily  constituted  people  who  can  make  himself  comfort- 
able and  contented  under  any  circumstances,  and  he  has 
rendered  Dumba  quite  the  neatest  and  most  comfortable 
factory  that  we  visited.  He  always  has  one  or  two 
European  agents  living  with  him.  One  of  these,  who  had 
just  left  previous  to  our  arrival,  had  been  by  trade  a 
carpenter,  and  Monsieur  Bombeecke  had  caused  him  to 
instruct  several  natives  in  this  craft,  with  the  result  that  in 
the  workshop  which  he  has  built  all  manner  of  useful 
articles  are  manufactured.     Monsieur  Bombeecke  and  his 


Crossing  the  Lubue. 


A  Bai'KM'E  dance  at  Dg.mka, 


INTO   THE    UNKNOWN    COUNTRY        277 

native  carpenter  had  turned  out  a  very  neat  and  ingenious 
wooden  letter-press  to  replace  the  iron  one  belonging  to 
the  Company,  which  had  been  broken,  and  the  chairs, 
tables,  and  other  furniture  at  Dumba,  although  of  course 
of  a  somewhat  rough  and  ready  nature,  were  of  a  far 
better  quality  than  one  would  expect  in  so  remote  a 
district,  and  the  woodwork  of  his  bungalow  was  all  of 
exceptional  solidity  and  neatness ;  the  doors  closed  pro- 
perly, the  sashes  fitted  the  windows,  and  there  was  a  strong 
and  well  made  flight  of  steps  leading  from  the  ground  to 
the  door. 

But  perhaps  Dumba  is  most  remarkable  for  its  vegetable 
gardens.  Monsieur  Bombeecke  thoroughly  understands  the 
cultivation  of  vegetables,  and  he  had  established  two  gardens 
at  his  factory,  one  for  use  in  the  dry  season  and  the  other 
during  the  rains,  with  the  result  that  all  the  year  round  he 
has  so  abundant  a  supply  of  vegetables  that  he  can  send 
most  welcome  presents  of  them  to  both  his  neighbours  at 
Alela  and  Bienge.  Upon  arriving  in  Africa  this  enterpris- 
ing trader  had  commenced  the  study  of  cookery  with  the 
aid  of  a  cookery  book,  and  as  a  result  he  had  been  able  to 
teach  his  cook  to  serve  up  a  dinner  which  would  do  credit 
to  any  small  country  hotel  with  nothing  but  the  plain  stores 
which  the  Company  issues  to  its  agents  to  compose  it.  Mon- 
sieur Bombeecke  rightly  believes  that  in  order  to  maintain 
one's  strength  in  Central  Africa  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to 
study  as  much  as  possible  one's  personal  comfort,  and  his 
own  robust  condition  testifies  to  the  value  of  his  methods. 
But  it  was  not  only  by  the  creature  comforts  of  good  living 
that  our  stay  at  Dumba  was  rendered  enjoyable,  for  we  now 


278      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

began  to  learn  something  more  of  the  Bakongo  people,  and 
our  hope  of  being  able  to  enter  their  territory  began  to  rise 
by  leaps  and  bounds,  for  we  discovered  that  Monsieur 
Bombeecke,  whose  popularity  among  the  natives  surround- 
ing his  factory  is  very  great,  had  come  into  friendly  contact 
with  one  or  two  outlying  Bakongo  villages.  From  him  we 
learned  that  although  the  main  portion  of  the  Bakongo  tribe 
resides  in  the  unexplored  country  to  the  east  of  the  Loange 
River,  there  are  a  certain  number  of  their  villages  upon  its 
left  or  western  shore,  dotted  about  among  settlements  of 
the  Bapende,  with  which  latter  people  Monsieur  Bombeecke 
was  on  very  friendly  terms.  He  suggested  to  us  that  he 
should  accompany  us  to  one  of  these  Bapende  villages  near 
the  Loange  whose  chief  he  knew  to  be  friendly  with  the 
Bakongo,  and  that  having  associated  ourselves  with  this 
chief  we  should  endeavour  to  obtain  through  him  an  intro- 
duction to  the  Bakongo.  As,  thanks  to  Sam,  the  only 
member  of  our  party  who  had  been  with  us  at  Pana,  we 
enjoyed  a  tremendous  reputation  as  hunters  (I  discovered 
that  I  myself  had  shot  twenty  buffaloes  in  a  week !),  we 
decided  to  attempt  to  enter  the  unknown  country  in  the 
capacity  of  sportsmen,  and  to  give  out  that  we  would  be 
willing  to  shoot  buffaloes  or  any  other  game  and  supply  the 
villages  with  meat  if  the  natives  would  allow  us  to  stay  with 
them  and  to  slowly  make  our  way  eastwards  towards  the 
Kasai.  We  knew  that  we  should  be  misunderstood  and 
almost  certainly  arouse  suspicion  if  we  told  the  Bakongo,  as 
we  had  told  the  people  of  the  Mushenge,  that  we  had  come 
among  them  in  order  to  learn  something  of  their  ways  ;  we 
therefore  considered  it  wiser  to  keep  the  real  object  of  our 


INTO   THE   UNKNOWN   COUNTRY        279 

coming  a  secret.  We  could  hardly  expect  to  enter  the  un- 
known country  as  traders,  for  the  Bakongo  have  never  yet 
traded  with  the  white  man ;  missionaries  have  never  even 
been  heard  of  by  the  natives  of  this  district,  so  that  we  could 
not  appear  to  pose  as  such  ;  and  indeed  it  seemed  probable 
that  the  capacity  of  hunters  was  the  only  one  in  which  we 
could  reasonably  hope  to  effect  an  entry  into  the  Bakongo 
country.  Monsieur  Bombeecke  informed  us  that  although 
he  knew  next  to  nothing  about  the  Bakongo  he  believed 
there  existed  somewhere  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Loange 
one  great  paramount  chief  of  the  whole  tribe,  whose  name 
he  had  heard  was  Goman  Vula,  a  piece  of  information  which 
seemed  to  coincide  with  what  we  had  heard  at  the  Mushenge 
of  a  big  chief  among  the  Bashilele  people.  We  were  con- 
fident that  if  once  we  could  visit  this  ruler  of  the  Bakongo 
and  establish  anything  like  friendly  relations  with  him  we 
should  be  able  to  make  a  real  study  of  his  tribe,  so  to  find 
and  make  the  acquaintance  of  this  man  became  the  object 
of  the  early  part  of  our  journey  to  the  Kasai.  But  although 
we  had  now  learned  that  we  could  easily  get  into  touch  with 
natives  who  were  friends  and  neighbours  of  the  Bakongo,  we 
fully  expected  to  have  to  spend  many  weeks  in  hunting  near 
the  Loange  River  before  we  could  get  to  know  the  Bakongo 
sufficiently  well  for  them  to  allow  us  to  cross  the  stream 
and  enter  the  unknown  land. 

In  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  Dumba  there  are 
settlements  of  both  the  Bapende  and  Babunda  peoples,  so 
that  the  days  we  spent  at  the  factory  were  by  no  means  idle, 
for  large  numbers  of  both  tribes  came  to  see  us,  and  upon 
one  occasion  the  Bapende  held  a  dance  in  our  honour  in 


2  8o      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

which  nearly  three  hundred  people  took  part.  The  Babunda 
were  not  quite  so  reticent  as  those  who  dwelt  around  Alela, 
and  Torday  was  able  to  amplify  his  notes  upon  that  tribe, 
while  I  occupied  a  good  deal  of  my  time  in  taking  and 
developing  photographs  of  various  native  types.  The 
Bapende  are  much  given  to  the  use  of  the  tukula  dye, 
which  is  so  common  among  the  Bushongo,  They  wear 
their  hair  in  little  tassels  resembling  a  mop  on  the  tops  of 
their  heads,  and  it  is  by  no  means  uncommon  to  find  those 
whose  hair  is  not  of  sufficient  length  to  admit  of  its  being 
dressed  in  this  fashion  wearing  wigs.  The  Bapende  ladies 
adorn  their  legs  with  such  a  weight  of  brass  in  the  shape  of 
anklets,  sometimes  as  many  as  eight  on  each  leg,  the  total 
weight  of  which  would  be  about  i6  lbs.,  that  walking  is 
extremely  difficult,  and  they  are  often  to  be  seen  standing 
upon  one  leg  and  supporting  their  other  foot  in  their  hand, 
or  pausing  and  kneeling  down  or  sitting  to  rest  even  during 
quite  a  short  walk.  The  most  ornamental  objects  which 
the  Bapende  manufacture  are  small  models  of  human  faces 
carved  out  of  ivory  and  worn  suspended  from  a  string 
around  the  neck.  These  little  masks  are  purchased  from  the 
medicine-man,  and  are  considered  as  infallible  charms  against 
various  diseases.  Our  way  from  Dumba  to  the  Loange  lay 
entirely  through  Bapende  territory.  The  day  before  we  set 
out  on  our  journey  all  our  Bambala  porters  came  to  us  in  a 
body  and  inquired  if  it  was  really  true  that  we  still  intended 
to  enter  the  country  of  the  Bakongo.  Upon  Torday  reply- 
ing in  the  affirmative,  our  men  said  that  the  Baluba 
employes  of  the  factory  had  told  them  that  we  should  all 
most  certainly  be  massacred  if  we  made  the  attempt,  and 


INTO   THE   UNKNOWN   COUNTRY        281 

they  requested  us  to  allow  them  to  return  to  their  homes. 
Torday  immediately  acceded  to  their  request,  and  told  them 
to  return  to  him  at  midday  to  receive  their  wages  and  their 
rations  for  the  journey.  We  were  now  in  a  most  awkward 
predicament,  for  we  did  not  know  the  local  Bapende  suffi- 
ciently well  to  be  able  to  induce  them  to  accompany  us 
upon  the  journey  which  they  could  not  but  regard  as  highly 
dangerous,  and  we  certainly  could  not  hope  to  succeed  in 
reaching  the  Kasai  if  we  were  accompanied  by  any  of  the 
low-class  Baluba  from  the  factory,  even  if  these  cowardly 
people  could  have  been  persuaded  to  go  with  us.  Our  out- 
look, therefore,  was  not  very  bright.  Long  before  midday, 
however,  our  Bambala  returned  and  inquired  whether,  if 
they  returned  to  their  homes,  we  should  persist  in  going  on 
towards  the  Kasai.  Torday  assured  them  that  we  should. 
*'  Then  of  course  we  will  go  with  you,"  said  the  Bambala, 
and  from  that  moment  not  one  of  our  men  showed  the 
slightest  desire  to  turn  back.  When  we  left  Dumba  we 
marched  over  a  ridge,  about  1000  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  river,  which  ran  north  and  south  beside  the  banks  of  the 
Lubue,  forming  a  barrier  between  that  river  and  the  valley 
of  the  Luana,  a  stream  some  fifty  yards  in  width  which  flows 
parallel  to  the  Lubue  midway  to  the  Loange  and  falls  into 
the  Lubue  a  short  distance  above  the  confluence  with  that 
river  to  the  Kasai.  The  Luana  flows  through  a  valley 
about  eight  miles  wide,  and  to  the  east  of  this  valley  there 
lies  another  high  ridge  separating  the  basin  of  the  Luana 
from  that  of  the  Loange.  A  greater  portion  of  this  country 
consists  of  grass  land,  but  there  is  a  good  deal  of  wood 
around    the    Luana.       Monsieur    Bombeecke,    as    he    had 


2  82      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

promised,  accompanied  us  upon  our  journey,  and,  marching 
by  easy  stages,  we  reached  upon  the  sixth  day  Kangala,  the 
village  of  the  Bapende  chief  who  we  hoped  would  introduce 
us  to  the  Bakongo.  The  day  before  reaching  Kangala  we 
caught  our  first  glimpse  of  a  Bakongo  village.  This  lay  in 
a  small  clearing  in  the  woods,  and  was  surrounded  by  a 
stout  stockade  consisting  of  posts  about  eight  or  nine  feet 
high  driven  firmly  into  the  ground.  Monsieur  Bombeecke 
had  passed  by  this  village  before,  but  had  never  been  invited 
to  enter  it,  and,  knowing  the  hostility  of  the  Bakongo  to  the 
white  man,  he  had  never  risked  arousing  their  indignation 
by  attempting  to  pass  the  narrow  entrance  to  the  village 
without  a  special  invitation  from  the  chief.  It  had  been  his 
custom,  however,  to  halt  for  a  few  minutes  under  a  shed 
situated  outside  the  walls,  and  there  have  a  friendly  chat 
with  such  of  the  natives  as  would  come  and  talk  to  him. 
Upon  our  arrival  a  good  number  of  the  villagers  came  out 
to  see  us,  and  the  chief  offered  us  some  palm  wine  in 
quaintly-carved  black  wooden  cups,  in  the  manufacture  of 
which  the  Bakongo  are  remarkably  skilful.  Torday  noticed 
at  once  a  similarity  in  the  patterns  with  which  these  cups 
were  ornamented  and  those  which  we  had  found  among  the 
Bushongo,  another  piece  of  evidence  to  support  his  theory 
that  these  two  peoples  are  nearly  related.  We  offered  a 
good  price  for  one  or  two  of  the  cups,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
had  succeeded  in  purchasing  several.  We  then  continued 
our  march.  In  every  village  we  passed  through  we  took  all 
the  opportunities  we  could  of  purchasing  curios,  among 
which  we  secured  specimens  of  the  curious  wooden  masks 
and  palm  cloth  dresses  in  which  the  Bapende  boys  array 


K AM.  \l    \. 


Bai'ende  boys  wearing  masks. 


INTO   THE   UNKNOWN   COUNTRY        283 

themselves  for  the  ceremony  of  initiation  when  they  enter 
man's  estate.  During  this  ceremony,  which  lasts  several 
days,  the  lads  have  to  spend  all  their  time  in  the  forest  or 
in  the  bush,  and  are  obliged  to  keep  out  of  sight  of  other 
people.  The  purchase  of  one  of  the  masks  might  easily  have 
led  us  into  trouble,  for  one  of  our  boys  who  belonged  to 
another  tribe  and  was  quite  unversed  in  Bapende  customs, 
carried  the  thing  about  the  villages  exposed  to  the  public 
gaze,  a  proceeding  which  caused  a  good  deal  of  indignation 
on  the  part  of  the  Bapende,  who  firmly  believe  that  if  a 
woman  sets  eyes  on  one  of  these  masks  she  will  die.  Luckily 
no  women  happened  to  be  passing  at  the  time,  so  we  were 
soon  able  to  sooth  the  ruffled  feelings  of  the  natives. 

The  village  of  Kangala,  whose  chief  was  to  put  us  in 
communication  with  the  Bakongo,  lies  in  open  country  upon 
the  ridge  which  forms  the  western  or  left-hand  side  of  the 
Loange  River.  Except  that  the  country  around  it  consists 
of  grass  land,  the  place  is  somewhat  suggestive  of  a  Saharan 
oasis.  The  huts  are  dotted  about  in  a  veritable  forest  of 
palm-trees,  and  few  if  any  other  kind  of  trees  are  to  be 
found  within  the  village.  Everywhere  you  go  you  walk  in 
the  shade  of  the  palms,  and  the  little  square  grass-thatched 
houses  look  extremely  pretty  in  so  picturesque  an  environ- 
ment. The  place  is  a  large  one,  and  crowds  of  natives  can 
be  seen  at  all  hours  of  the  day  manufacturing  cloth  at  looms 
placed  under  the  trees,  making  baskets,  or  pounding  cassava 
into  flour.  The  chief,  Dilonda,  had  erected  quite  a  com- 
modious hut  for  the  use  of  Monsieur  Bombeecke,  whom  he 
evidently  held  in  very  high  esteem,  and  it  was  outside  this 
hut,  accompanied  by  one  or  two  chiefs  of  lesser  importance, 


2  84      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

that  we  found  Dilonda  waiting  for  us  upon  our  arrival  in 
the  village.  He  wore  around  his  neck  a  great  number 
of  charms,  such  as  the  little  ivory  masks  to  which  I  have 
alluded,  similar  masks  made  in  metal,  leopards'  teeth, 
whistles,  and  other  objects.  He  was  a  big  and  powerfully- 
built  man,  save  that  one  of  his  legs  appeared  to  be  shrivelled, 
so  that  he  was  obliged  to  walk  with  the  aid  of  a  stick. 
Dilonda  received  us  well.  Monsieur  Bombeecke's  intro- 
duction evidently  being  a  sufficient  guarantee  as  to  our 
respectability,  and  after  an  interchange  of  presents  (chickens 
and  a  goat  on  his  side,  trade  cloth,  &c.,  upon  ours),  we 
proceeded  to  impress  the  crowd  which  was  assembled  by 
playing  a  few  pieces  upon  the  phonograph.  This,  as  usual, 
astonished  and  delighted  the  audience,  and  we  could  see 
that  the  people  were  quite  prepared  to  regard  us  as  some- 
thing in  the  way  of  wizards.  Monsieur  Bombeecke  informed 
Dilonda  that  we  were  mighty  hunters  on  our  way  home, 
that  in  order  to  reach  our  country  it  was  necessary  for  us 
to  proceed  across  the  territory  of  the  Bakongo  and  Bashilele 
to  the  upper  waters  of  the  Kasai,  and  that  on  our  way  we 
were  ready  to  shoot  buffaloes,  elephants,  hippopotami — in 
short,  any  kind  of  animal,  and  give  the  meat  to  the  natives 
whose  villages  we  passed  through.  He  also  explained  that 
we  wished  to  purchase  all  manner  of  objects  such  as  the 
natives  had  never  previously  had  an  opportunity  of  selling, 
and  that  we  had  not  come  in  search  of  rubber,  a  commodity 
with  which  he  well  knew  the  Bakongo  would  have  nothing 
to  do.  He  then  asked  Dilonda  if  he  knew  anything  of  the 
country  around  the  Loange.  We  were  considerably  sur- 
prised when  the  chief  clearly  showed  us  that  he  knew  how 


INTO   THE   UNKNOWN   COUNTRY        285 

the  Kasai  took  a  turn  to  the  westward  at  its  confluence  with 
the  Sankuru,  for  it  is  very  rare  indeed  to  find  a  native  who 
knows  anything  of  the  geography  of  a  district  so  far  from 
his  own  village.  Finding  Dilonda  very  agreeable  we  very 
soon  came  to  the  point,  and  asked  him  directly  whether  he 
would  be  prepared,  if  we  gave  him  a  substantial  present,  to 
establish  friendly  relations  between  us  and  the  Bakongo. 
We  said  that  we  had  heard  that  there  was  a  place  upon  the 
Loange  some  few  days'  march  to  the  northward  where 
buffaloes  abounded,  and  we  inquired  if  he  would  be  willing  to 
accompany  us  there  and  to  help  us  to  induce  the  Bakongo 
to  allow  us  to  hunt  in  their  country. 

Now  Dilonda  was  a  greedy  person,  and  I  am  sure 
that  the  offer  of  a  substantial  present  would  lead  him  to 
attempt  almost  anything,  but  at  the  same  time  Monsieur 
Bombeecke  told  us  that  we  could  rely  upon  the  man,  and 
that  if  he  consented  to  help  us  we  could  be  assured  that  he 
would  use  his  best  endeavours  to  do  so.  Dilonda  at  once 
showed  himself  much  against  our  scheme  of  going  to  the 
north.  He  told  us  that  although  the  Bakongo  in  his  own 
immediate  neighbourhood  were  sufficiently  hostile  to  the 
European  to  desire  to  have  nothing  whatever  to  do  with 
him,  those  further  to  the  north  were  far  more  hostile  still, 
and,  although  it  was  just  possible  he  might  in  time  be  able 
to  induce  them  to  receive  us,  it  was  quite  likely  that  we 
should  be  attacked  if  we  entered  their  territory.  He  him- 
self and  his  tribe  did  not  desire  to  enter  into  any  quarrel 
with  the  Bashongo,  of  whom,  I  think,  they  stand  in  con- 
siderable awe,  and  we  had  insufficient  men  with  us  to  be 
able  to  defend  ourselves  successfully  in  the  event  of  trouble 


2  86      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

breaking  out.  He  therefore  considered  that  our  best  plan 
would  be  to  remain  for  a  day  or  two  in  his  village  while  he 
proceeded  to  a  small  Bakongo  settlement  called  Insashi, 
which  lay  upon  the  left  bank  of  the  Loange  only  a  few  miles 
from  Kangala.  He  explained  to  us  that  the  chief  of  this 
village  was  his  personal  friend,  and  he  had  no  doubt  that 
we  would  be  peacefully  received  there.  We  therefore 
decided  to  take  his  advice  and  to  remain  for  a  few  days  at 
Kangala.  During  this  time  we  showed  Dilonda  our  clock- 
work elephant,  and  nothing  would  satisfy  him  but  that  we 
should  present  him  with  one  if  he  could  establish  friendly 
relations  with  the  Bakongo.  The  less  inclined  we  were  to 
part  with  the  elephant  the  more  anxious  was  he  to  possess 
it,  and  after  a  time  we  became  certain  that  there  was  very 
little  that  he  would  not  do  for  us  in  order  to  obtain  so 
powerful  a  fetish.  We  knew,  however,  sufficient  of  the 
negro  not  to  part  with  the  coveted  toy  before  Dilonda  had 
fully  earned  it,  so  we  agreed  with  him  that  should  we 
succeed  in  reaching  the  Kasai  we  should  send  the  elephant 
to  Monsieur  Bombeecke,  who  undertook  to  give  it  to 
Dilonda.  In  the  meantime,  as  an  earnest  of  our  good 
intentions,  we  gave  him  a  substantial  present  of  iron  and 
trade  cloth.  Dilonda  told  us  that  the  two  commodities 
which  would  prove  the  most  saleable  in  the  country  beyond 
the  Loange  were  machettes  and  bars  of  iron.  Now  those 
two  commodities  are  about  the  most  awkward  to  carry  of 
any  of  the  trade  goods  used  in  the  Kasai.  The  machettes 
are  not  so  bad  as  the  iron,  for  a  considerable  number  of 
these  knives  can  be  made  up  into  a  load  to  be  carried  on  a 
pole  by  two  men,  but  the  square  or  round  bars  of  iron,  cut 


INTO    THE   UNKNOWN   COUNTRY        287 

into  lengths  of  about  one  foot  each,  are  extremely  heavy, 
and  at  the  rate  at  which  they  are  sold  it  practically  means 
that  one  has  to  employ  one  man  to  carry  every  eight 
shillings'  worth  of  this  "  money  "  that  one  takes.  With 
our  very  small  number  of  porters  the  difficulty  presented 
by  this  was  a  considerable  one,  for  it  meant  that  in  the 
unknown  country  our  own  men  would  have  to  undertake 
each  stage  of  the  journey  at  least  twice  until  the  iron  was 
used  up,  for  even  if  we  could  persuade  the  Bakongo  to  carry 
our  loads  for  us,  we  should  certainly  not  be  able  to  trust 
them  with  a  commodity  which  they  covet  so  strongly. 
From  Kangala  we  sent  a  small  caravan  back  to  Dumba, 
where  we  purchased  from  Monsieur  Bombeecke's  assistant 
a  further  supply  of  iron  and  knives.  As  we  stood  upon 
the  high  ground  outside  Dilonda's  village  we  could  look 
across  the  valley  of  the  Loange,  which  is  here  about  seven 
or  eight  miles  wide,  and  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  unknown 
country  which  lay  before  us.  We  had  heard  from  other 
white  men  that  the  Bakongo  and  Bashilele  are  cannibals  of 
the  most  terrible  character  inhabiting  a  densely  wooded 
country,  and  yet  as  we  gazed  across  the  river,  we  could  see 
to  the  eastwards,  beyond  a  comparatively  narrow  strip  of 
forest  which  borders  the  Loange,  great  rolling  grassy  downs 
on  which  scarcely  a  tree  was  visible.  Evidently  the  descrip- 
tion of  the  country  which  had  been  given  to  us  was  com- 
pletely false,  and  we  asked  ourselves  why  should  not  the 
ferocity  of  the  inhabitants  also  have  been  much  exaggerated  ? 
We  thought  that  while  we  were  at  Kangala  it  would  be  just 
as  well  to  shoot  a  little  game,  if  any  existed,  in  order  to 
show  the  natives  that  we  really  were  hunters,  and  to  give 


2  88      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

them  some  idea  of  the  power  of  our  sporting  rifles,  but 
although  there  were  a  few  buffaloes  in  the  neighbourhood, 
we  were  not  able  to  obtain  a  shot  at  them  owing  to  the 
anxiety  on  the  part  of  the  Bapende  to  obtain  a  present  for 
discovering  where  the  animals  were  feeding. 

Upon  one  occasion  two  or  three  of  Dilonda's  people, 
who  had  gone  out  to  look  for  game,  came  upon  some 
buffaloes  lying  down  in  a  cassava  field,  but  the  men  made 
such  a  noise  in  their  dispute  as  to  v/ho  should  go  and  in- 
form us  that  the  animals  were  there,  and  so  obtain  a 
present,  that  the  beasts  were  frightened  and  took  to  the 
forest  in  the  direction  of  a  Bakongo  village,  whither  it  was 
impossible  for  us  to  follow  them,  for  here,  as  in  most  parts 
of  Central  Africa,  each  village  has  its  own  hunting  ground, 
and  any  attempt  at  poaching  might  easily  lead  to  war. 
Dilonda  himself  caused  us  quite  a  lot  of  amusement.  Al- 
though he  considered  himself  no  small  personage,  and  was 
evidently  the  greatest  of  all  the  Bapende  chiefs  in  the 
neighbourhood,  it  used  to  delight  him  to  sit  upon  a  little 
stool  beside  our  table  and  beg  for  spoonfuls  of  mustard.  For 
a  time  we  could  not  understand  his  craving  for  this  delicacy, 
but  Monsieur  Bombeecke,  who  knew  him  well,  explained  to 
us  that  he  ate  the  stuff  solely  with  the  object  of  causing  a 
thirst,  for  Dilonda  was  much  addicted  to  palm  wine.  Not 
only  was  he  fond  of  the  mustard,  but  he  was  extremely 
anxious  to  possess  the  little  earthenware  pot  that  contained 
it.  It  appears  that  he  was  in  the  habit  of  boasting  to  his 
cronies  of  the  enormous  number  of  cups  of  palm  wine 
which  he  could  consume  at  a  sitting,  and  he  thought  that 
if  he   drank   the   beverage   out  of  so  small  a  vessel  as  a 


INTO   THE    UNKNOWN   COUNTRY        289 

mustard-pot  the  number  of  drinks  he  could  get  through 
would  be  enormously  increased.  No  doubt  he  would  not 
have  allowed  his  boon  companions  to  know  the  trick  he 
was  playing  upon  them  by  using  this  small  cup,  and  I 
tremble  to  think  of  the  results  which  might  ensue  if  his 
friends,  using  the  ordinary  sized  wooden  cup  which  would 
contain  about  three-quarters  of  a  pint,  should  attempt  to 
imbibe  a  greater  number  of  drinks  than  Dilonda.  Dilonda 
was  for  ever  attempting  to  get  something  out  of  us,  and 
with  this  object  he  was  always  pointing  out  all  the  services 
he  was  going  to  render  us,  and  the  accuracy  of  the  in- 
formation which  he  imparted  to  us.  He  usually  ended 
up  every  sentence  with  the  remark,  "  O,  he  is  no  liar  is 
Dilonda."  But  although  he  was  quite  ready  to  accept 
anything  that  we  offered  him,  Dilonda  was  by  no  means 
generous  in  the  presents  he  offered  to  us.  He  possessed 
a  few  of  the  black  and  white  sheep  which  are  bred  by  the 
Badjok  near  the  Portuguese  frontier.  The  Badjok  frequently 
sent  caravans  up  into  this  district  and  into  the  country  be- 
tween the  Loange  and  the  Kasai  in  search  of  rubber  and 
ivory  ;  in  fact  we  had  high  hopes  of  meeting  with  a  caravan 
of  these  people,  who  are  friendly  to  the  European,  during 
the  course  of  our  journey  eastwards,  for  we  believed  it  was 
quite  possible  they  might  help  us  to  reach  our  destination. 
Dilonda  had  doubtless  purchased  his  sheep  from  these 
traders,  but  he  kept  them  more  as  an  ornament  to  his 
village  than  as  animals  to  be  killed  and  eaten.  We  several 
times  cast  favourable  glances  upon  these  animals.  With 
the  exception  of  a  few  meals  at  Dima,  four  months  before, 
we  had  not  tasted  mutton  since  the  Christmas  of  1907,  and 

T 


290      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

I  think  that  life  in  Central  Africa  tends  to  make  one 
greedy,  particularly  if  one  is  living  in  districts  where  game 
is  so  scarce  that  one  has  little  or  no  break  in  the  monotony 
of  meals  off  skinny  chickens  and  insipid  goats'  meat.  We 
therefore  hoped  that  Dilonda,  in  exchange  for  the  numer- 
ous presents  that  we  made  him,  might  feel  himself  bound  to 
offer  us  a  sheep.  One  day  when  we  made  some  remark 
about  his  flock,  the  crafty  old  chief  called  us  aside  and  said, 
"  I  think  your  boys  are  thieves.  When  I  saw  you  looking 
at  the  sheep,  and  I  remembered  that  I  had  only  given  you 
one  small  goat,  shame  seized  me,  and  I  said  to  myself, 
*  Dilonda,  give  the  white  man  one  of  your  sheep  ' ;  so  I  called 
your  boys  and  gave  them  a  fine  fat  animal  and  told  them 
to  take  it  to  you,  but  I  do  not  think  you  have  received  it. 
Your  boys  must  have  stolen  it  and  eaten  it  themselves." 
We  did  not  believe  this  story,  of  course,  but  we  made  in- 
quiries and  discovered  that  no  sheep  had  ever  been  handed 
over  to  our  servants.  When  we  told  Dilonda  of  this  the 
old  ruffian  merely  laughed,  amused  rather  than  annoyed 
that  his  falsehood  had  been  discovered  and  his  meanness 
found  out.  In  a  few  days  old  Dilonda  informed  us  that 
the  Bakongo  of  Insashi  would  be  willing  to  allow  us  to 
visit  their  village,  and  we  accordingly  started  out,  accom- 
panied by  Monsieur  Bombeecke, Dilonda, anda  couple  of  lesser 
chiefs,  to  cover  the  five  or  six  miles  in  the  valley  of  the 
Loange  between  Kangala  and  Insashi.  As  we  drew  near  to 
the  Bakongo  village,  the  Bapende  warned  us  to  tell  our  men 
to  make  as  little  noise  as  possible  so  that  the  Bakongo 
might  not  at  the  last  moment  take  fright  at  our  approach 
and  either  desert  their  village  or  attack  us.     As  we  stepped 


INTO   THE   UNKNOWN   COUNTRY        291 

out  of  the  woods  into  the  clearing  in  which  Insashi  stood, 
we  fully  expected  to  find  a  crowd  of  curious,  if  not  hostile 
people  waiting  to  look  at  us.  To  our  surprise,  however, 
the  few  people  whom  we  saw  outside  the  stockade  were  all 
engaged  upon  their  ordinary  daily  occupations,  such  as 
weaving  or  wood-carving,  and  paid  little  or  no  attention 
to  us  as  we  walked  to  the  shed  outside  the  stockade,  which 
the  Bapende  informed  us  had  been  placed  at  our  disposal. 
As  we  were  seated  beneath  the  shade  of  this  structure,  the 
Bakongo  chief  came  to  welcome  us.  Torday,  through  the 
medium  of  a  Bapende  interpreter,  explained  to  this  man  the 
object  of  our  visit,  laying  stress  upon  the  fact  that  we 
only  required  to  go  to  the  Kasai  and  to  spend  our  time  in 
hunting  upon  the  journey.  He  gave  the  chief  a  very 
substantial  present,  and  asked  him  if  he  would  allow  his 
people  to  ferry  us  across  the  river  in  their  canoes.  We 
were  a  little  surprised  to  learn  that  there  were  no  canoes 
upon  the  left  bank  of  the  river.  This  is  a  precaution 
against  invasion,  for  the  Loange  is  fully  half  a  mile  in 
width,  and  its  current  is  so  strong  as  to  preclude  the  pos- 
sibility of  an  enemy  crossing  it  by  swimming  ;  the  Bakongo, 
therefore,  by  keeping  their  canoes  on  the  right,  or  eastern 
shore,  cause  the  river  to  become  an  insurmountable  barrier 
to  any  would-be  invader.  Should  the  Bakongo  on  the  left 
bank  desire  to  visit  their  countrymen  they  have  to  go  down 
to  the  water's  edge  and  shout  until  a  canoe  is  sent  to  them 
from  a  village  which  lies  just  opposite  on  the  eastern  shore. 
The  chief  of  Insashi,  well  pleased  with  his  present,  informed 
us  that  he  and  Dilonda  would  ask  the  people  of  the  further 
bank  to  ferry  them  over  on   the   morrow,  and  that  they 


292      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

would  then  use  their  best  endeavours  to  persuade  them  to 
send  sufficient  canoes  to  carry  us  and  our  loads.     While  we 
were  talking  to  the  chief  a  considerable  number  of  natives, 
including  many  women,  crowded  round  to  look  at  us,  and 
we  purchased  several  articles  from  them,  always  paying  very 
high  prices  with  the  object  of  inducing  them  to  bring  us 
other  things  for  sale.     In  the  evening  Torday  and  I  thought 
that  it  would   be  as  well  to  shoot  a  few  monkeys  in  the 
forest  close  at  hand  in  order  that  we  might  present  their 
carcases  to  the  chief  as  food.     We  therefore  went  out  and 
bagged  a  colobus  and  one  or  two   cercopithecus  monkeys, 
with  which  the  chief  of  Insashi  was  greatly  pleased.     But 
on  the  morrow  we  repented  bitterly  of  having  shot  them, 
for  the  report  of  the  i2-bore  and  the  crack  of  the  Mann- 
licher  had  been   heard   across  the  river,   and  the  chief  of 
Lisashi,  when  he  returned  the  following  evening  from  his 
trip    to    the    other    bank,   informed   us  that  the   Bakongo 
there  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that  we  were  attacking 
Insashi,  and  that  he  had  had  the  greatest  difficulty  in  per- 
suading  them   to   send    canoes  for   us.     At  last,  however, 
attracted  by  hearing  of  the  presents  we  had  given  to  the 
chief  of  Insashi,  they  had  agreed  to  do  so,  but  he,  the  chief, 
told  us  that  we  must  not  be  surprised  if  at  the  last  moment 
they  changed  their  minds.     We  had  not  been  many  hours 
in   Insashi   before   we   were   invited    to    pass    through    the 
entrance  of  the  stockade   and   inspect  the  interior   of  the 
village.     The  houses  there  resembled  those  of  the  Bush- 
ongo,    and,    each    having    its    own    little    courtyard,    they 
reminded  us  of  the  huts  of  the  Mushenge.     There  were 
certain  other  evidences   as  well,   in  the  character   of  the 


INTO   THE   UNKNOWN   COUNTRY        293 

weapons  used  and  the  various  utensils  that  we  saw  about 
the  place,  that  the  Bakongo  were  in  reality  related  to  the 
subjects  of  the  Nyimi.  In  the  centre  of  the  village  there 
was  an  open  space  where  meetings  and  dances  are  held,  the 
huts  being  built  around  this  in  close  proximity  to  the 
stockade.  Between  the  buildings  and  the  wall,  however, 
there  was  a  passage  admitting  of  the  defenders  hurrying  to 
and  fro  in  case  the  village  was  attacked.  The  stockade 
was  strongly  built  of  palm-leaf  stems,  attaining  a  height  of 
about  ten  feet.  These  stems  are  placed  so  close  together 
as  to  form  a  very  efficient  defence  against  an  enemy  armed 
only  with  bows  and  arrows  or  spears,  and  any  attempt  to 
rush  these  defences  across  the  open  space  which  had  been 
cleared  around  them  without  first  breeching  the  stockade 
could  only  result  in  very  heavy  loss  to  the  attacking  side  if 
the  garrison  put  up  a  determined  defence.  A  modern  rifle 
bullet  would,  of  course,  pass  through  the  stockade  as 
through  so  much  paper,  but  it  would  be  extremely  difficult 
to  observe  the  position  of  the  defenders  through  the  fence 
so  as  to  be  able  to  inflict  any  great  loss  upon  them.  The 
gates  in  the  stockade,  of  which  there  are  several,  are  so 
small  as  to  admit  of  only  one  person  entering  at  a  time. 

For  a  space  of  about  fifty  yards  all  round  the  defences, 
outside  the  village,  the  ground  was  cleared,  and  here  stood 
a  number  of  granaries  in  which  the  crops  are  stored.  These 
granaries  are  built  as  neatly  as  the  dwelling-houses,  and 
stand  upon  piles  in  order  to  keep  away  mice  and  other 
vermin.  It  struck  us  as  remarkable  that  the  supply  of  food 
should  be  kept  outside  the  village,  but  they  are  situated  well 
within  arrow-range  of  the  defences, and  I  think  that  the  reason 


294      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE    KASAI 

for  building  them  apart  from  the  dwelling-houses  must  be 
to  prevent  the  food -stuffs  from  attracting  a  large  amount 
of  vermin  into  the  village.  Also  outside  the  walls  we  found 
a  number  of  sheds,  used  as  shelters  from  the  sun,  in  which 
the  Bakongo  weave  their  cloth  and  pass  their  time  in  smok- 
ing and  discussing  the  local  gossip,  as  do  the  natives  of 
Misumba.  We  soon  fell  to  discussing  with  the  chief  of 
Insashi  the  route  we  should  have  to  follow  in  order  to  reach 
the  Kasai.  We  discovered  that  he  knew  very  little  about 
it,  he  never  having  been  so  far  as  the  great  river  himself, 
but  we  did  learn  from  him  that,  as  Monsieur  Bombeecke  had 
told  us,  there  is  in  reality  one  great  chief  of  all  the  Bakongo 
people.  He  would  say  very  little  about  this  great  man,  and 
even  went  so  far  as  to  state  that  he  did  not  know  where  his 
village  lay,  but  by  putting  together  scraps  of  information 
we  gathered  that  it  must  be  situated  nearer  to  the  Loange 
than  to  the  Kasai,  somewhere  to  the  north-east  of  the  point 
where  we  should  cross  the  former  river.  We  told  the  chief 
of  Insashi  that  we  would  handsomely  reward  any  one  who 
would  put  us  into  communication  with  the  great  chief,  and 
that  we  had  some  valuable  presents  for  that  important  per- 
sonage if  he  would  deign  to  receive  us.  The  chief  of 
Insashi  promised  us  that  he  would  ask  his  compatriots  to 
help  us  in  this  respect,  but  the  name  Goman  Vula  was 
always  mentioned  with  bated  breath,  and  we  could  clearly 
see  that  it  would  be  difficult  to  obtain  access  to  his  village 
or,  if  we  failed  in  this,  any  precise  information  about  him 
or  his  court.  During  the  couple  of  days  that  we  spent  at 
Insashi  we  employed  our  followers  in  the  construction  of  a 
rough  bridge  over  the  extremely  swampy  ground  which  lies 


INTO   THE    UNKNOWN   COUNTRY        295 

in  the  forest  between  the  village  and  the  river  bank.  No- 
body in  the  least  objected  to  our  doing  this,  and  we  found 
ourselves  free  to  do  practically  what  we  liked  and  to  wander 
about  the  village  without  causing  any  annoyance  to  anybody  ; 
and  as  the  natives  upon  the  eastern  shore  had  promised  to 
fetch  us  in  their  canoes,  we  began  to  think  that  our  journey 
to  the  Kasai  would  after  all  present  few  difficulties,  and  I 
remember  that  we  wrote  very  cheerful  letters  home,  to  be 
taken  back  to  Dumba  by  Monsieur  Bombeecke  when  he  re- 
turned after  seeing  us  across  the  Loange.  On  the  21st  of 
May  we  bade  adieu  to  this  gentleman,  whose  popularity 
with  the  natives  had  contributed  so  much  to  the  cordiality 
of  the  reception  we  had  met  with  among  the  Bapende,  and 
also  to  our  introduction  to  the  Bakongo,  and  conveyed  all 
our  loads  from  the  village  to  the  waterside.  Some  canoes 
appeared  under  the  bushes  of  the  farther  shore  and  ap- 
proached us,  but  the  sight  of  so  many  packages  led  the 
boatmen  to  believe  that  our  party  must  be  a  very  much 
larger  one  than  it  had  been  represented  to  be,  and  they 
returned  to  their  own  side  of  the  river  in  doubt  as  to  our 
peaceful  intentions.  The  chief  of  Insashi  thereupon  com- 
menced to  shout  for  them  to  return.  As  the  Loange  is,  at 
this  point,  fully  eight  hundred  yards  wide,  and  as  it  took 
quite  two  hours  continuous  shouting  to  produce  any  signs 
of  life  on  the  opposite  bank,  the  chiefs  voice  must  have 
come  in  for  a  pretty  considerable  strain,  but  eventually  three 
canoes  of  moderate  size  appeared,  and  the  work  of  embark- 
ing our  baggage  was  begun.  Torday  crossed  in  the  first 
canoe.  He  was  accompanied  by  a  couple  of  the  Bambala, 
who  habitually  acted  as  gun-bearers  to  us  when  out  shooting, 


296      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

but  he  took  no  arms  with  him  of  any  kind,  realising  that 
the  Bakongo  were  still  highly  suspicious  of  us,  and  that  the 
sight  of  arms  might  provoke  an  attack  or  cause  the  boat- 
men to  maroon  him  upon  a  sandbank  in  mid-stream,  from 
which  escape  would  be  quite  impossible  unless  the  natives 
could  be  persuaded  to  return  for  him  with  a  canoe.  As  I 
have  said,  the  Loange  at  this  point  is  about  eight  hundred 
yards  wide.  For  the  greater  part  of  this  distance  the  water 
is  extremely  shallow,  so  shallow  indeed  that  paddles  are 
never  employed  by  the  boatmen,  the  canoes  being  propelled 
by  means  of  poles.  There  is,  however,  one  portion  of  the 
river — about  fifty  yards  in  width — where  the  water  is  con- 
siderably deeper,  and  here  the  stream  is  so  rapid  that  a  canoe 
upon  entering  it  from  the  more  sluggish  water  is  swept 
downwards  with  most  alarming  rapidity.  For  this  reason 
any  attempt  to  cross  the  Loange  by  means  of  swimming 
could  only  end  in  disaster,  and  as  the  width  of  the  river 
rendered  any  kind  of  bridge  impossible,  we  were  entirely 
dependent  upon  the  goodwill  of  the  Bakongo  boatmen.  I 
watched  Torday's  canoe  disappear  between  the  bushes  upon 
the  eastern  shore  with  my  field-glasses,  and  I  must  confess 
that  the  minutes  seemed  like  hours  before  I  saw  the  canoe 
reappear  and  commence  to  cross  the  stream  with  the  evident 
intention  of  ferrying  over  the  remainder  of  our  loads.  The 
boatmen  brought  me  a  note  from  Torday  informing  me  that 
everything  had  gone  well  and  that  all  the  loads  which  ac- 
companied him  had  safely  arrived  in  the  forest  on  the  far 
shore.  This  news  came  as  a  considerable  relief  to  my  feel- 
ings, for  had  any  attempt  been  made  to  attack  him  we 
should   have   been   quite   unable   to  render   any  assistance. 


INTO   THE   UNKNOWN   COUNTRY        297 

The  work  of  transporting  all  our  goods  across  the  river 
occupied  several  hours,  but  after  a  short  time  one  of  the 
canoes  brought  me  over  a  second  note  from  Torday  saying 
that  he  had  encountered  two  or  three  Bakongo  women  who 
had  come  down  to  fetch  water,  and  that  these  had  readily 
consented  to  carry  some  of  our  packages  up  to  the  village 
for  a  liberal  wage,  to  be  paid  in  salt.  This  was  a  highly 
satisfactory  commencement  to  our  journey,  and  when  I 
myself  came  over  the  river  with  the  last  loads  at  about 
5  P.M.,  I  was  delighted  and  not  a  little  surprised  to  find 
that  these  worthy  ladies  had  not  only  carried  up  the  loads 
given  to  them,  but  had  returned  for  more  and  brought 
other  people  with  them,  so  that  all  our  baggage  had  been 
removed  to  the  village.  We  ourselves  followed  just  as  the 
sun  was  going  down.  The  village  in  which  we  spent  the 
night  is  called  Insashi,  like  its  neighbour  on  the  left  bank 
of  the  river ;  it  lies  on  the  edge  of  the  forest  belt  at  a 
distance  of  about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  water.  It 
is  quite  a  small  place,  and  although,  like  all  Bakongo  vil- 
lages, it  is  surrounded  by  a  stockade,  its  defences  were  in  a 
tumble-down  condition,  and  except  that  it  is  the  home  of 
the  boatmen  who  keep  up  communication  with  the  outlying 
villages  of  the  Bakongo  on  the  western  side  of  the  river, 
the  place  appears  to  be  of  very  little  importance.  We  were 
well  received  by  the  aged  chief.  This  man  was  an  acquaint- 
ance of  Dilonda,  and  evidently  had  accepted  his  statements 
as  regards  the  inoffensive  nature  of  our  visit,  for  not  only 
did  he  produce  the  present  of  chickens  which  is  usually 
offered  to  the  white  man  upon  his  arrival  in  a  Congo  vil- 
lage, but  he  assured  us  that  his  people  would  be  willing  to 


298      LAND   AND    PEOPLES   OF   THE    KASAI 

convey  our  belongings  to  another  village  next  day,  and  dis- 
cussed quite  freely  with  us  the  easiest  route  to  the  Kasai. 

We  found  that  here,  as  in  the  village  upon  the  western 
shore,  the  natives  in  reality  knew  very  little  about  their 
country  beyond  the  radius  of  a  few  miles  from  their  homes  ; 
in  fact  there  was  not  one  man  in  the  whole  village  who  had 
ever  been  as  far  as  the  Kasai.  Here,  too,  the  people  spoke 
of  Goman  Vula  as  little  as  they  could,  and  it  was  very  clear 
to  us  that  we  should  experience  great  difficulty  in  making 
acquaintance  with  this  great  chief. 

The  Loange  River,  however,  lay  behind  us,  and  we  had 
been  so  far  very  well  received  by  the  Bakongo,  so  that  we 
really  began  to  think  that,  even  if  we  could  not  find  Goman 
Vula,  our  journey  across  the  unknown  tract  was  likely  to 
present  fewer  difficulties  and  dangers  than  we  had  expected. 
After  spending  one  night  at  this  second  village  of  Insashi 
we  proceeded  about  five  or  six  miles  in  a  south-south-easterly 
direction  to  Bwabwa,  the  people  of  Insashi  eagerly  offering 
their  services  as  porters  for  the  liberal  wage  of  iron  and 
knives  which  we  agreed  to  pay  them.  As  the  whole  of  the 
country  between  the  Loange  and  the  Kasai  was  represented 
by  a  blank  upon  even  the  best  maps  of  the  Congo  State,  we 
had  determined  to  do  our  best  to  make  some  sort  of  a  rough 
survey  of  our  route  with  the  aid  of  a  prismatic  compass,  and 
this  work,  commenced  at  Dumba,  we  now  carried  on  as 
carefully  as  we  possibly  could.  As  we  were  unable  to  retrace 
our  steps  over  any  portion  of  the  journey,  we  had  to  content 
ourselves  with  taking  such  bearings  as  we  could  while  on 
the  march  from  village  to  village.  The  map  therefore 
which   has   resulted    from   our  survey  is   by  no   means   so 


INTO   THE   UNKNOWN   COUNTRY        299 

accurate  or  so  complete  as  it  would  have  been  had  we  been 
able  to  devote  some  days  to  going  out  from  each  village  to 
map  the  country  round.  It  serves  to  show  our  route,  how- 
ever, and  it  is  the  best  we  could  do  under  the  circumstances, 
which  were  sometimes  very  trying. 

The  village  of  Bwabwa  is  a  new  one,  and  it  lies  in 
open  country  on  the  edge  of  the  forest  belt  which  borders 
the  Loange  River.  As  we  approached  the  village  we 
noticed  two  peculiar  fetishes  or  charms.  The  first  of 
these  consisted  in  a  miniature  harpoon,  a  model  of  those 
used  for  trapping  elephants  and  hippopotami,  suspended 
over  the  path  close  to  the  entrance  to  the  village.  The 
second  one  consisted  of  a  high  post  placed  in  the  centre 
of  the  village,  from  the  top  of  which  hung  creepers  extended 
to  each  of  the  four  corners  of  the  stockade.  This  latter 
charm,  I  believe,  was  considered  particularly  efficacious  against 
lightning.  Dilonda  accompanied  us  to  Bwabwa,  with  the 
chief  of  which  village  he  was  very  friendly,  and  upon  his 
recommendation  the  natives  received  us  well.  We  pitched 
our  camp  in  the  cleared  ground  outside  the  stockade  and 
settled  down  to  make  ourselves  agreeable.  Upon  hearing 
that  we  were  hunters,  the  Bakongo  at  once  suggested  that 
we  should  on  the  morrow  accompany  them  to  the  river  and 
endeavour  to  shoot  some  of  the  buffalo  which  come  down 
in  the  early  morning  to  drink.  Next  day,  therefore,  we 
started  before  daybreak  together  with  two  or  three  of  our 
Bambala  and  a  few  of  the  Bakongo,  and  having  been  ferried 
in  a  couple  of  very  small  canoes  across  the  Loange,  we  spent 
several  hours  in  a  search  for  game.  Although  we  were  not 
successful  in  obtaining   a   shot,  we  found   fresh   tracks   of 


300      LAND   AND    PEOPLES   OF    THE    KASAI 

buffalo,  elephant,  hippopotami,  bush-buck,  and  sitatunga 
in  large  quantities,  so  that  this  part  of  the  Loange  River 
must  be  considerably  richer  in  game  than  most  of  the 
districts  we  passed  through.  We  visited  several  grassy 
islands  near  to  the  western  shore,  and  while  doing  so  we 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  we  had  been  rather  foolish  in 
allowing  the  Bakongo  to  take  us  there,  for  should  they 
have  suddenly  taken  into  their  heads  to  get  rid  of  us, 
nothing  would  have  been  easier  than  for  them  to  depart 
in  their  canoes  and  thus  maroon  us  upon  the  islands, 
from  which,  owing  to  the  strength  of  the  stream,  escape 
would  have  been  quite  impossible.  When  we  returned  in 
safety  to  Bwabwa,  therefore,  we  determined  never  again  to 
place  ourselves  so  completely  at  the  mercy  of  a  people  who, 
although  they  were  friendly  at  present,  we  certainly  did 
not  know  sufficiently  well  to  trust.  Dilonda  stayed  a 
couple  of  nights  at  Bwabwa  and  then  returned  to  his 
home  across  the  river.  He  had  certainly  been  most 
useful  to  us,  for  without  his  introduction  I  have  no 
doubt  that  it  would  have  taken  many  weeks  for  us  to 
become  friendly  with  the  Bakongo  upon  either  bank  of 
the  Loange,  and  in  addition  to  this  he  had  evidently 
talked  a  good  deal  about  our  clock  -  work  elephant, 
for  the  natives  of  Bwabwa  were  very  anxious  to  see  it. 
We  displayed  it  once  to  the  chief,  but  we  were  very 
careful  not  to  allow  it  to  become  "cheap"  by  showing 
it  to  any  passing  native  who  might  express  a  desire  to 
look  at  it.  We  first  noticed  at  Bwabwa  rather  a  curious 
thing  about  the  Bakongo  methods  of  hunting.  Like  the 
Bushongo    they   employ   a    number    of   dogs    with    rattles 


INTO   THE   UNKNOWN   COUNTRY       301 

strapped  around  them  to  drive  small  game  into  nets  in 
the  forest,  but  among  the  Bakongo  the  dogs,  although 
belonging  to  various  individuals,  are  all  under  the  care 
of  one  man  who  occupies  a  position  somewhat  similar  to 
that  of  the  "kennel-huntsman"  of  an  English  fox-hound 
pack,  and  he  daily  feeds  all  the  dogs  used  for  hunting. 
Most  of  the  Bakongo  carry  little  wooden  whistles  sus- 
pended from  a  string  around  the  neck,  but  the  dogs 
appear  to  easily  distinguish  the  note  of  the  kennel-man's 
whistle,  for  they  come  round  him  as  soon  as  he  sounds 
it  to  partake  of  the  cassava  dough  with  which  he  feeds 
them.  As  a  rule  the  dogs  of  the  Bakongo  appear  to  be 
very  well  kept. 

In  discussing  our  route  with  the  people  of  Bwabwa  it 
appeared  that  our  next  stage  would  be  to  a  village  named 
Bishwambura  which  lay  about  six  miles  to  the  eastwards, 
but  the  people  of  Bwabwa  declined  to  carry  our  loads 
there,  and  insisted  upon  taking  us  to  a  small  hamlet  called 
Bwao,  situated  about  three  miles  to  the  north.  We  were 
not  in  a  position  to  insist  upon  going  where  we  liked,  so 
we  had  to  be  content  with  moving  on  to  this  place, 
although  by  going  there  we  were  moving  very  little,  if 
any,  further  from  the  Loange  than  we  were  at  present, 
and  consequently  were  making  practically  no  progress 
towards  the  Kasai,  and  were  having  to  pay  very  high 
wages  to  the  natives  for  carrying  our  loads  these  short 
and  useless  stages.  From  Bwao,  however,  we  did  manage 
to  get  on  to  Bompe,  about  four  miles  to  the  eastwards, 
having  been  warned  by  the  people  of  Bwao  to  be  very 
careful   how  we   treated   the   Bakongo   of  Bompe,  for   we 


302      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

were   assured   that   the   slightest   carelessness   on   our   part 
would  probably  lead  to  our  being  attacked. 

We  were,  however,  received  in  a  most  friendly  spirit, 
our  iron  and  knives  evidently  being  most  welcome  to  the 
natives.  After  the  village  of  Bom pe  matters  became  more 
complicated,  for  there  began  to  arise  a  difficulty  as  to  the 
form  which  the  payment  of  the  Bakongo  who  carried  for 
us  should  take.  Living  as  they  do  exactly  the  same  lives 
which  the  natives  all  over  Africa  used  to  live  before  the 
white  man  invaded  the  Dark  Continent,  the  Bakongo  have 
no  real  need  for  any  article  imported  from  Europe,  with  the 
exception  of  knives  or  the  iron  bars  from  which  their  smiths 
can  forge  arrow  heads,  and  therefore  every  porter  required 
to  be  paid  either  with  a  knife  or  a  4  lb.  bar  of  iron  for 
carrying  a  load  even  the  shortest  of  stages.  It  will  be 
understood,  therefore,  that  our  expenses  were  very  heavy 
and  that  our  limited  stock  of  knives  and  iron  should  begin 
to  dwindle  to  small  proportions,  it  being  quite  impossible, 
now  that  the  Loange  lay  behind  us,  to  send  a  caravan  back 
to  Dumba  for  a  further  supply.  Even  at  first  when  we 
were  able  to  pay  every  one  in  the  commodity  he  or  she 
required,  the  work  of  getting  the  loads  transported  was  no 
light  task.  As  a  rule  the  women  were  more  eager  to  carry 
than  the  men;  in  fact  I  have  often  given  a  load  to  a  stalwart 
Bakongo  warrior  only  to  see  him  transfer  it  immediately 
afterwards  to  the  shoulders  of  his  wife.  But  the  Bakongo 
ladies  were  very  trying  to  deal  with  when  we  distributed 
the  packages  in  the  morning  preparatory  to  starting  from 
a  village  ;  they  all  preferred  a  small  heavy  load  to  a  bulky 
light  one,  and  whenever  a  package  could  be  divided  between 


INTO   THE   UNKNOWN   COUNTRY       303 

several  people  the  shrewd  matrons  would  call  in  the  services 
of  all  their  children,  often  arriving  at  their  destination  with 
four  or  five  individuals  carrying  portions  of  one  load,  and 
every  one  of  these  people  expected  to  be  paid  the  wage 
agreed  upon  for  a  full  burden.  I  have  known  very  small 
children  to  accompany  us  carrying  a  discarded  empty  bottle 
and  demand  payment  at  the  end  of  the  stage.  Of  course 
it  was  essential  for  us  to  keep  our  tempers  and  to  humour 
the  people  as  much  as  possible,  otherwise  we  should  doubt- 
less have  been  unable  to  move  at  all,  but  I  can  assure  my 
readers  that  it  is  by  no  means  easy  to  remain  unruffled  when 
endeavouring  to  persuade  a  Bakongo  lady  to  carry  a  certain 
package  when  she  has  determined  in  her  own  mind  to  carry 
another  one. 

One's  most  pleasant  manner  and  most  inviting  smile  (a 
sort  of  "  do-take-this-one-it's-quite-light-really  "  grin)  are 
quite  thrown  away  on  the  Bakongo  women.  However,  we 
tried  our  best  to  be  agreeable,  and  the  number  of  dirty 
infants  whom  we  daily  chucked  under  the  chin  with  a  view 
to  ultimately  securing  their  fond  mothers'  services  as  porters 
must  have  been  very  considerable.  The  fact  that  we  could 
at  first  hardly  speak  a  word  of  the  local  language  did  not 
make  matters  much  easier,  and  altogether  we  were  having  a 
by  no  means  enjoyable  time  during  the  early  part  of  our 
journey  from  the  Loange  to  the  Kasai.  The  people  of 
Bompe,  in  their  anxiety  to  obtain  iron,  expressed  their 
willingness  to  carry  our  loads  on  to  Bishwambura ;  and 
realising  that  the  natives  would,  in  all  probability,  divide 
their  loads  up  into  small  portions  in  the  hope  of  obtaining 
full  payment  for  each,  Torday  decided  to  go  on  to  Bishwam- 


304      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE    KASAI 

bura  in  advance,  with  most  of  our  Bambala  porters  carrying 
the  iron  and  knives,  there  to  await  the  arrival  of  our  other 
baggage,  while  I  was  to  remain  at  Bompe  to  superintend  the 
departure  of  the  loads,  and  to  give  to  each  porter  who  pre- 
sented himself  for  service  a  slip  of  paper  bearing  my  initials  ; 
upon  handing  this  to  Torday  at  Bishwambura  he  would 
receive  the  wage  agreed  upon.  We  thought  that  in  this 
way  we  should  be  able  to  prevent  the  endless  splitting  up  of 
loads,  but  it  only  served  to  give  the  Bakongo  an  opportunity 
of  displaying  a  cunning  that  I  should  never  have  imagined 
that  they  possessed.  It  so  happened  that  a  green  canvas  sack, 
which  contained  a  number  of  odds  and  ends  left  over  from 
other  packages,  was  torn  at  the  corner,  revealing  inside  a 
broken  packet  of  Reckitt's  blue  (a  dye  which  was  very 
popular  with  the  natives  for  ornamenting  their  faces). 
Now  although  they  had  never  seen  writing  in  any  form 
before  our  arrival,  the  Bakongo  conceived  the  idea  of 
attempting  to  manufacture  the  vouchers  for  payment  which 
I  distributed  to  the  porters.  They  picked  up  scraps  of 
paper  which  had  been  left  lying  about  our  camping  ground, 
and  with  the  aid  of  a  stick  and  Reckitt's  blue  they  made 
marks  upon  them,  fondly  imagining  that  these  marks  would 
deceive  Torday  into  paying  them  for  carrying  loads  which 
existed  really  only  in  their  imagination.  Of  course  the 
trick  was  obvious  at  once,  but  Torday's  refusal  to  pay  for 
the  forgeries  caused  the  natives  to  mistrust  the  real  vouchers 
which  I  had  given  them,  with  the  result  that  many  of  them 
threw  down  their  loads  by  the  wayside  and  declined  to  carry 
them  to  Bishwambura.  Torday  sent  back  the  Bambala 
porters  to    assist    me    to    bring    on    the  remainder  of  the 


INTO   THE    UNKNOWN   COUNTRY       305 

baggage,  and  wrote  me  a  note  requesting  me  to  come  on  as 
soon  as  possible,  and  to  have  my  rifle  handy  on  the  way,  for 
he  considered  it  highly  probable  that  we  should  have  trouble 
with  the  disappointed  Bakongo.  Our  Bambala  porters  had 
always  behaved  in  an  exemplary  manner  during  the  time 
they  had  been  with  us,  and  their  quiet,  inoffensive  manners 
had  caused  them  to  become  popular  in  every  village  through 
which  we  had  passed,  but  we  had  never  before  had  such  an 
opportunity  of  really  testing  them  as  during  the  march  from 
Bompe  to  Bishwambura.  When  they  left  Bompe  with  me 
they  were  carrying  heavy  loads  hung  upon  a  pole  between 
two  men,  but  when  we  came  to  some  packages  abandoned 
by  the  wayside,  they  cut  the  loads  away  from  the  pole,  and, 
one  man  taking  what  was  really  a  burden  for  two,  they 
picked  up  the  boxes  discarded  by  the  Bakongo,  and  proceeded 
to  stagger  on  with  them  towards  Bishwambura  before  I  had 
time  even  to  hint  to  them  that  I  wished  this  to  be  done. 
Our  Bambala  were  always  ready  to  voluntarily  undertake 
any  extra  work,  and  to  undergo  any  hardship  which  was 
necessary  for  the  success  of  our  journey,  and  it  is  owing  to 
the  fact  that  we  were  accompanied  by  such  gallant  and 
devoted  followers  that  we  were  able  to  go  through  the 
trying  times  which  were  to  follow. 

When  I  arrived  at  Bishwambura  I  found  Torday  under 
a  shed  outside  the  stockade  surrounded  by  an  angry  crowd 
of  Bakongo  all  demanding  payment  for  carrying  loads,  and 
it  appeared  very  much  as  if  a  breach  of  the  peace  would 
follow  his  refusal  to  give  everybody  present  a  wage.  He 
was  adamant,  however,  and  finally  the  people  of  Bompe 
returned  home  in  the  evening,  grumbling  and  discontented, 


u 


3o6      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

leaving  us  to  get  on  as  best  we  could  with  the  people  of 
Bishwambura,  whose  acquaintance  we  had  thus  made  under 
by  no  means  favourable  circumstances.  It  was  not  to  be 
expected  that  they  would  be  very  friendly  towards  us,  for 
they  shared  the  dislike  which  all  the  other  Bakongo  felt 
towards  the  white  man,  and  our  dispute  with  the  people  of 
Bompe,  although  unavoidable,  was  hardly  likely  to  make 
them  particularly  friendly  towards  us,  so  that  we  were  not 
surprised  to  find  ourselves  treated  once  more  in  the  same 
way  as  among  the  Bankutu  of  the  equatorial  forest.  The 
people  would  sell  us  no  chickens,  and  for  some  time  declined 
to  show  us  where  to  obtain  good  drinking  water.  Our 
men,  however,  soon  found  a  clear  stream,  and  we  had  pur- 
chased at  Bompe  a  sufficient  supply  of  living  fowls  to  meet 
our  immediate  requirements,  and  as  the  Bakongo  were  not 
averse  to  selling  food  to  the  Bambala,  our  predicament  was 
not  a  serious  one.  The  chief  difficulty  lay  in  persuading 
the  natives  to  carry  us  on  to  the  next  village.  They  flatly 
refused  to  take  us  over  the  rolling  grassy  plains  which  lay  to 
the  eastward,  for  they  told  us  that  a  party  of  Badjok  traders 
were  encamped  in  a  village  in  that  direction,  and  that  these 
Badjok,  with  whom  the  Bakongo  were  friendly,  would  not 
allow  the  white  man  to  be  brought  anywhere  near  them. 
This  struck  us  as  rather  remarkable,  for  we  knew  that  the 
Badjok  were  enthusiastic  traders,  who  like  nothing  better 
than  to  purchase  goods  imported  from  Europe  and  to  sell 
ivory  and  rubber  to  the  white  man  ;  we  came  to  the  con- 
clusion, therefore,  that  this  particular  party  of  Badjok  must 
be  engaged  in  buying  slaves  from  the  Bakongo,  for  in  the 
old  days,  before  the  arrival  of  the  European  Government, 


INTO   THE   UNKNOWN    COUNTRY       307 

these  people  were  noted  slave  traders,  and  this  unexplored 
country  between  the  Loange  and  the  Kasai  would  be  one  of 
the  very  few  remaining  places  where  they  might  be  able  to 
carry  on  this  trade  unpunished.     After  a  good  deal  of  dis- 
cussion,  the   people  of  Bishwambura  agreed   to  carry  our 
loads   on  to   Kanenenke,   some  three   miles  to   the  south, 
having  previously  ascertained  that  the  natives  of  that  village 
would  be  willing  to  allow  us  to  visit  them.     Torday  went 
on  to  Kanenenke  in  advance,  leaving  me  to  despatch  our 
baggage  with  the  local  Bakongo.     This  stage  of  our  journey 
passed  off  without  any  untoward  incident,  but  when  I  joined 
Torday  in  the  evening  I  found  that  he   had  had  rather  an 
amusing  experience  in   the  village    on  his  arrival.      Upon 
approaching  the  stockade  he  had  found  two  elderly  men 
sitting  smoking  their  pipes  beneath  a  shed  ;  as  soon  as  they 
set  eyes  upon  him  they  had  jumped  up  with  a  squeal,  and, 
carefully  keeping  the  shed  between  him  and  themselves,  they 
had  anxiously  inquired  whether  he  was  a  human  being  or  a 
ghost.     Torday    had    assured    them,    in    as   much    of  the 
Bakongo  language  as  he  had  been  able  to  learn  during  our 
stay  in  the  country,  that  he  was  not  only  human,  but  really 
very  inoffensive,  and  that  he  had  brought  with  him  a  good 
supply  of  things  which  the  Bakongo  would  like  to  have,  and 
which  he  was  quite  prepared  to  give  them  in  exchange  for 
food  and  for  their  services  as  porters  when  we  moved  on. 
In  the  meantime,  a  number  of  other  natives  had  assembled 
to   look  at  him,  but  it  took  some  little  time  to  persuade 
them  that  he  really  belonged  to  this  world,  for  I  think  that 
the  Bakongo  had  imagined  that  a  "  white  "  man  ought  to 
resemble  in  colour  the  white  earth,  something  like  chalk. 


3o8      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE    KASAI 

which  exists  in  small  quantities  in  this  district,  so  that  Tor- 
day's  tanned  visage  by  no  means  came  up  to  their  expecta- 
tions of  a  European.  At  last  one  man,  more  courageous 
than  the  rest,  had  touched  him,  and,  having  satisfied  himself 
that  Torday  was  nothing  more  than  ordinary  flesh  and 
blood,  had  persuaded  the  others  to  lay  aside  their  fears,  so 
that  when  I  arrived  Torday  had  settled  down  and  was 
making  himself  agreeable  to  the  chief  of  the  village.  We 
stayed  some  days  in  Kanenenke,  and  got  on  remarkably  well 
with  the  people  there  ;  we  were  able  to  take  a  great  number 
of  photographs,  and,  by  dint  of  giving  a  few  pinches  of  salt 
as  a  reward  to  those  who  posed  for  us,  we  had  no  difficulty 
in  obtaining  pictures,  not  only  of  native  types,  but  of  the 
people  performing  their  various  daily  occupations.  We  took 
several  photographs  of  ladies  having  their  eyelashes  pulled 
out,  for  no  Bakongo  lady  of  fashion  would  think  of  appear- 
ing with  any  hair  upon  her  eyelids.  The  eyelashes  are 
pulled  out  by  another  woman  so  quickly  and  so  neatly  that 
the  process  does  not  so  much  as  bring  water  to  their  eyes. 
It  was  at  first  somewhat  disquieting  to  observe  that  after 
sundown  there  was  scarcely  a  sober  man  to  be  found  at 
Kanenenke,  for  the  Bakongo  are  extremely  fond  of  palm 
wine,  in  connection  with  the  drinking  of  which  there  is  a 
curious  custom  among  them.  Several  times,  when  entering 
Bakongo  villages,  we  noticed,  at  some  little  distance  from 
the  villages  themselves,  two  or  three  logs  placed  as  if  to 
form  seats  by  the  wayside,  and  we  were  considerably 
astonished  to  find  that  these  marked  the  meeting-places  of 
clubs.  In  the  evening  the  Bakongo  men  come  out  to  bring 
in  the  wine  extracted  from  the  Elais  palm,  and  they  carry  it 


GaNUU,  son  of  the  CHIKF  OK  KaNEXENKK. 


Removing  a  lady's  eyelashes 


INTO   THE   UNKNOWN    COUNTRY        309 

in  calabashes  to  these  meeting-places,  where  groups  of 
friends,  to  the  number  of  half-a-dozen  or  a  dozen,  sit  down, 
smoke  their  pipes,  and  drink  while  discussing  the  local 
gossip. 

The  habits  of  the  Bakongo  at  their  clubs  are  certainly 
not  so  temperate  as  they  might  be,  but  we  soon  found  that 
as  a  rule  they  were,  when  drunk,  more  agreeable  and  more 
anxious  to  please  us  than  when  sober,  so  that  although  for 
the  first  few  days  we  were  rather  uncertain  as  to  what  their 
demeanour  towards  us  might  be  when  the  liquor  got  into 
them,  we  soon  came  to  regard  the  existence  of  these  clubs  as 
rather  a  help  than  a  hindrance  to  our  progress.  At  Kanen- 
enke  our  men  were  often  invited  to  partake  of  refreshment 
by  the  natives,  and  on  one  or  two  occasions  we  ourselves 
were  offered  a  drink  by  some  convivial  spirit  when  we  passed 
the  clubs  on  our  way  back  from  shooting  guinea-fowls  in 
the  evening.  Although  palm  wine  is  generally  drunk  out 
of  quaintly  carved  wooden  cups,  in  the  manufacture  of 
which  the  Bakongo  are  quite  the  equal  of  the  Bushongo,  it 
is  very  often  imbibed  from  leaves  neatly  twisted  up  so  as  to 
contain  the  liquid,  the  same  leaf  never  being  used  for  two 
drinks.  The  natives  in  most  parts  of  the  Kasai  district  are 
in  the  habit  of  thus  drinking  water  from  leaves  when  they 
cross  a  stream  upon  the  march.  During  our  stay  at  Kanen- 
enke,  although  the  fact  that  the  little  children  displayed  no 
timidity  in  visiting  our  camp  and  playing  with  us  clearly 
showed  that  we  were  becoming  even  popular  with  the 
natives,  our  chances  of  reaching  the  Kasai  began  to  appear 
remarkably  small.  It  seemed  that  nothing  save  iron  and 
knives  would  induce  the  Bakongo  to  carry  for  us,  and  our 


310      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE    KASAI 

stock  of  these  commodities  was  almost  at  an  end.  We 
possessed  a  fair  amount  of  salt,  which  the  natives  would 
accept  in  payment  for  small  services,  and  also  a  quantity  of 
European  cotton  material,  but  this  latter  proved  merely  an 
encumbrance  to  us,  for  we  learned  that  Goman  Vula  had 
issued  a  decree  announcing  that  any  one  of  his  subjects  found 
wearing  material  of  European  manufacture  would  be  in- 
stantly put  to  death.  We  could  hardly  expect,  therefore, 
that  the  Bakongo  would  carry  for  us  for  a  wage  to  be  paid 
in  cloth. 

In  addition  to  this,  the  people  of  Kanenenke  informed 
us  that  they  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  neighbouring  villages 
had  had  a  difference  of  opinion  with  Goman  Vula,  which,  if 
it  had  not  grown  to  an  open  revolt,  had  at  least  put  a  stop 
to  any  intercourse  between  the  natives  of  the  district  in 
which  we  now  were  and  the  Bakongo  who  inhabited  the 
immediate  neighbourhood  of  Goman  Vula's  village.  The 
people  of  Kanenenke  plainly  told  us  that,  for  this  reason, 
they  could  not  themselves  transport  our  baggage  to  the 
village  of  the  great  chief.  This  story  may  very  likely  have 
been  a  lie  invented  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  us  away  from 
Goman  Vula,  for  the  natives  were  as  mysterious  as  ever 
when  discussing  him,  and  we  could  not  find  any  one  who 
would  say  that  he  knew  him  personally ;  but,  whether  true 
or  false,  it  seemed  highly  improbable  that  we  should  either 
be  able  to  meet  Goman  Vula  or  to  make  our  way  towards 
the  Kasai.  We  were  bitterly  disappointed,  for  we  had  gone 
to  considerable  expense  in  making  our  way  as  far  as  Kanen- 
enke, and  at  Kanenenke  itself  we  were  getting  on  with  the 
natives  better  than  we   had   any  right   to  expect   that  we 


INTO   THE    UNKNOWN   COUNTRY        311 

should,  so  that  Torday  was  collecting  quite  an  amount  of 
valuable  information  concerning  the  manners  and  customs 
of  the  tribe.  In  addition  to  this,  we  were  particularly  anxious 
to  cross  this  unknown  track,  a  feat  which  had  been  attempted 
unsuccessfully  so  often  before.  We  were  convinced  that  the 
whole  matter  was  now  merely  a  question  of  money.  Had 
we  possessed  unlimited  iron  and  knives  we  could  doubtless 
have  bribed  the  Bakongo  to  take  us  anywhere  we  liked,  but 
such  heavy  material  in  large  quantities  would  have  neces- 
sitated our  bringing  with  us  a  very  large  number  of  porters, 
for  it  would  be  quite  impossible  to  trust  the  Bakongo  them- 
selves to  transport  loads  consisting  of  the  objects  which  they 
covet  so  much  ;  and  had  we  been  followed  by  a  large 
number  of  natives  from  the  Kwilu,  the  Bakongo  of  the 
river  bank  would  certainly  have  been  so  suspicious  of  us 
that  they  would  never  have  ferried  us  over  the  Loange. 
Had  it  been  possible  to  employ  some  other  means  of  trans- 
port, such  as,  for  instance,  donkeys,  I  am  convinced  that  we 
should  have  been  able  to  bring  in  sufficient  iron  and  knives 
to  bribe  the  natives  into  taking  us  to  Goman  Vula's  village, 
and  probably  to  succeed  in  establishing  friendly  relations 
with  the  great  chief  himself.  Although  our  chances  of 
being  able  to  reach  the  Kasai  certainly  seemed  very  remote, 
we  could  not  bear  to  turn  back  and  recross  the  Loange,  so 
that  when  the  people  of  Kanenenke  began  to  talk  about 
carrying  our  loads  on  for  one  more  stage,  we  decided  to 
risk  finding  ourselves  at  an  end  of  our  supply  of  currency, 
and  to  proceed  as  far  in  an  easterly  direction  as  we  possibly 
could.  We  made  great  friends  with  the  chief  of  Kanenenke, 
a  fine,  stalwart  old  native,  who  was  in  the  habit  of  smoking 


312      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

a  pipe,  the  stem  of  which  was  so  long  that  he  required  a 
slave  to  light  it  for  him,  and  with  his  son  Gandu,  another 
fine  specimen  of  a  negro,  with  whom  we  used  to  take  short 
shooting  excursions  in  search  of  guinea-fowl.  During 
these  excursions  we  came  across  many  of  the  hidden  planta- 
tions of  the  Bakongo,  for  on  the  march  in  their  country 
one  sees  little  or  no  land  under  cultivation,  the  fields 
generally  lying  some  distance  from  any  main  track,  hidden 
in  patches  of  woodland.  The  chief  and  his  son  were  very 
greatly  impressed  by  our  clock-work  elephant. 

During  our  stay  in  the  village  Gandu's  wife  presented 
him  with  a  son,  whereupon  the  young  warrior  at  once  came 
round  to  see  us,  and,  calling  Torday  aside,  asked  him  if  he 
would  allow  our  elephant  to  predict  the  future  of  the  child. 
This  Torday  agreed  to  do,  and,  having  previously  ascer- 
tained by  his  researches  among  the  people  that  Gandu's  son 
would  be  heir  to  the  chieftainship,  and  seeing  that  the  baby 
was  a  healthy  one,  he  told  the  proud  father  that  the  elephant 
foresaw  that  the  child  would  grow  up  into  a  strong  man  and 
become  the  chief  of  a  village.  This  was  a  fairly  safe  pro- 
phecy, for  if  the  child  lived  he  would  certainly  become  chief, 
and  there  appeared  to  be  no  prospect  of  its  dying,  at  any 
rate  for  the  next  few  days,  after  which  we  hoped  we  should 
be  many  miles  away  from  Kanenenke.  At  any  rate  the  pre- 
diction thoroughly  delighted  Gandu,  and  he  offered  himselt 
to  act  as  an  envoy  from  us  to  the  people  of  Kenge,  the  next 
village  to  the  eastwards,  if  we  would  send  with  him  one  of 
our  men,  Mayuyu,  with  whom  he  had  struck  up  a  great 
friendship.  Mayuyu  at  once  expressed  his  willingness  to 
go,  so  he  and  Gandu  started  off  one  morning  to  assure  the 


INTO   THE    UNKNOWN   COUNTRY        313 

people  of  Kenge  of  our  peaceful  intentions,  and  to  ask  them 
if  they  had  any  objection  to  our  visiting  them.  During 
their  absence  we  had  little  to  do,  for  Gandu  was  our  chief 
informant  upon  all  matters  connected  with  his  tribe  in 
which  we  were  interested,  so  we  spent  a  good  deal  of  our 
time  in  playing  with  the  children.  While  thus  employed 
Torday  one  day  showed  the  little  ones  how  to  blow  an  egg. 
This  was  regarded  by  all  the  assembled  natives  as  a  truly 
wonderful  performance,  so  we  threaded  a  piece  of  cotton 
through  the  empty  shell  and  hung  it  up  to  a  tree  close  to 
our  tents,  where  it  was  evidently  regarded  as  a  fetish,  and 
accordingly  avoided  by  all  passing  natives.  In  an  empty 
granary  just  beside  the  entrance  to  my  tent  a  Bakongo 
fetish  of  a  very  different  kind  was  hanging  ;  it  was  a  human 
thigh-bone ;  but  although  this  was  rather  gruesome,  and 
was  no  doubt  believed  to  possess  considerable  magical 
powers,  I  think  that  our  clockwork  elephant  and  our  egg- 
shell were  regarded  as  something  far  more  uncanny  than 
any  charm  which  the  natives  themselves  possessed,  so  that 
we  felt  quite  safe  in  leaving  our  goods  about  in  the  shed, 
where  we  passed  the  greater  part  of  our  time,  and  in  going 
to  rest  at  night  without  troubling  to  post  sentries  over  our 
belongings. 

After  a  couple  of  days'  absence  Gandu  and  Mayuyu 
returned  and  informed  us  that  the  people  of  Kenge  had 
expressed  their  willingness  to  receive  our  visit,  and,  in  fact, 
had  appeared  quite  anxious  to  see  us.  Kenge,  Gandu  told 
us,  lay  at  no  great  distance  from  Goman  Vula's  village,  so 
he  thought  that  it  was  quite  possible  we  might  be  able  to 
persuade  its  inhabitants  to  take  us  on  to  see  the  great  chief. 


314      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

Knowing  the  state  of  our  finances  as  regards  iron  and 
knives,  however,  we  ourselves  were  very  doubtful  upon  this 
point.  Early  in  the  morning,  after  the  return  of  our  envoys, 
Torday  proceeded  to  Kenge,  all  the  inhabitants  of  Kanen- 
enke  and  of  one  or  two  neighbouring  hamlets  turning  out 
to  carry  our  loads,  but  although  every  one  appeared  anxious 
to  act  as  porters,  we  were  unable  to  secure  sufficient  people 
to  remove  all  our  baggage  from  the  village  in  one  day. 
Accordingly  I  stayed  behind  with  the  remainder  of  the  bag- 
gage to  await  the  return  of  our  Bambala,  whom  Torday 
promised  to  send  back  as  soon  as  they  were  refreshed  after 
their  journey.  The  way  to  Kenge  occupied  about  seven 
hours,  so  that  I  had  to  spend  two  nights  at  Kanenenke 
before  our  porters  had  had  time  to  rest  and  to  return  for 
me.  They  brought  with  them  a  note  from  Torday  inform- 
ing me  that  he  had  been  received  in  a  friendly  fashion  by 
two  chiefs  who  held  equal  sway  at  Kenge,  and  that  these 
worthies  had  given  him  a  present  of  fowls.  He  said  that  he 
had  told  the  natives  that  our  stock  of  iron  was  practically 
at  an  end,  but  that  this  fact  did  not  appear  to  prejudice  them 
against  us.  I  was  somewhat  relieved  to  get  this  information, 
for  the  night  before  I  left  Kanenenke  the  Bakongo,  who  had 
returned  from  carrying  our  loads  with  Torday,  had  appeared 
much  less  friendly  in  their  manner  towards  me ;  and  I 
gathered  from  what  I  could  pick  up  from  the  remarks  I 
heard  made  at  a  mass  meeting  held  after  nightfall  within 
the  village  that  they  were  dissatisfied  with  their  pay,  evi- 
dently expecting  to  be  able  to  extort  from  Torday  quite 
twice  the  amount  that  had  been  agreed  upon  as  their  wages. 
Just   as  I  was   leaving   the   village,  the   chief  came   to 


INTO   THE   UNKNOWN   COUNTRY        315 

me  and  formally  requested  me  to  remove  the  eggshell 
which  I  had  inadvertently  left  hanging  upon  its  tree. 
The  people  evidently  imagined  that  this  charm  could 
have  some  effect  upon  them  even  after  our  departure  if 
left  in  their  village.  I  therefore  carefully  removed  it  and 
started  upon  my  journey.  The  way  to  Kenge  lay,  after 
passing  through  a  narrow  strip  of  woodland  close  to 
Kanenenke,  over  great  rolling,  grassy  downs,  almost  devoid 
of  trees,  and  it  was  only  after  covering  about  eighteen 
miles  of  a  winding  road  that  we  came  upon  any  woodland, 
and  then  only  a  narrow  strip  bordering  a  brook  a  mile  or 
so  from  Kenge,  At  Kenge  we  were  only  about  twenty 
miles  as  the  crow  flies  from  the  Loange  River,  and  the 
country  had  consisted  almost  entirely  of  undulating  plains, 
although  to  the  north  of  Kenge  very  extensive  woodlands 
could  be  seen,  and,  of  course,  near  to  the  Loange  patches 
of  forest  are  to  be  found  in  the  numerous  hollows, 
through  which  flow  little  streams.  On  the  whole  the 
country  here  must  be  said  to  consist  of  plains,  and  in  no 
way  resembles  the  impenetrable  forest  which  we  had  been 
told  we  should  find  between  the  Loange  and  the  Kasai. 
Upon  reaching  Kenge  I  found  Torday  installed  under  a 
shed  about  forty  yards  from  the  stockade  which  sur- 
rounded the  village.  His  tent  was  pitched  a  few  yards 
away,  and  mine  was  quickly  erected  close  beside  it. 
Between  the  shed  and  the  village  the  ground  had  been 
cleared  of  grass,  and  was  covered  with  cassava  bushes  about 
four  or  five  feet  in  height.  A  few  yards  away  from  our 
tents  lay  the  rough  grass  of  the  plains.  Torday  was 
talking  to  several  natives,  including  the  two  chiefs,  when  I 


21 6       LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

arrived,  and  all  these  came  forward  to  welcome  me.  We 
noticed,  however,  that  they  looked  in  some  surprise  on 
the  loads  which  our  Bambala  were  carrying,  which  con- 
sisted merely  of  a  few  odd  and  ends.  A  short  time  after 
I  had  joined  Torday  and  we  were  sitting  down  to  a  meal, 
one  of  the  chiefs,  an  evil-looking  ruffian  with  a  squint, 
came  to  speak  to  us,  and  it  was  evident  that  his  friendly 
attitude  towards  us  had  changed  to  one  of  insolence.  He 
and  his  people  had  previously  told  Torday  that  they 
would  not  expect  to  be  paid  in  iron  for  carrying  us  on  to 
the  next  village,  for  they  had  been  assured  that  our  stock 
of  iron  and  knives  was  nearly  at  an  end,  but  now  he  came 
and  informed  us  that  his  people  would  not  carry  our  loads 
until  they  had  received  a  high  wage  in  iron  ;  nothing  else 
would  satisfy  them.  Torday  once  more  informed  them 
that  it  was  quite  impossible  for  us  to  accede  to  these  de- 
mands, whereupon  the  chief  remarked,  "  Very  well,  you  can 
go ;  if  you  have  no  iron,  we  do  not  want  you  here." 
Torday  then  told  him  that  we  asked  nothing  better  than 
to  go,  and  that  if  his  people  would  carry  our  loads  for  us 
at  daybreak  on  the  morrow,  we  should  be  delighted  to 
leave  his  village  and  continue  our  journey  towards  the 
Kasai.  The  chief  again  assured  us  that  his  people  would 
not  carry  without  iron  ;  and  when  we  remarked  that  we 
could  not  move  until  they  carried  for  us,  he  said,  "  You 
must  go  as  best  you  can  yourselves  ;  we  will  have  iron,  or 
we  will  have  war."     With  that  he  left  us. 

We  learned  later  on  that  this,  the  elder  of  the  two 
chiefs,  rather  fancied  himself  as  a  wizard,  and  doubtless 
intended  to  show  off  his  magical  powers  before  his  people 


INTO   THE   UNKNOWN    COUNTRY        317 

by  frightening  us  out  of  his  village.  After  a  time  he 
returned  and  told  us  that  as  a  declaration  of  war  he  in- 
tended to  steal  the  chickens  which  he  had  just  presented 
to  us.  We  showed  him  where  they  lay,  and  he  thereupon 
took  them,  our  people,  acting  under  our  order,  making 
no  effort  to  prevent  him,  for  we  did  not  wish  to  force 
on  hostilities  by  any  act  of  violence  on  our  part.  For 
the  rest  of  the  evening  no  one  came  near  us,  and  it  was 
noticeable  that  the  women  and  children  kept  within  the 
stockade,  while  the  warriors,  who  had  previously  been 
walking  about  unarmed,  most  of  them  now  carried  their 
bows  and  arrows  when  they  passed  our  camp.  Our  posi- 
tion was  by  no  means  a  comfortable  one.  I  have  men- 
tioned that  the  shed  in  which  our  belongings  lay  and 
our  tents  were  closely  surrounded  by  cassava  bushes, 
under  cover  of  which  it  would  be  very  easy  for  a  native 
to  creep  up  unobserved  and  shoot  us  as  we  sat  in  our 
chairs ;  obviously  any  attempt  on  our  part  to  clear  the 
ground  by  cutting  down  their  crops  could  only  result  in 
the  Bakongo  immediately  attacking  us.  Our  camp  was 
situated  well  within  arrow-range  of  the  stockade,  and 
although  the  shed  beneath  which  we  were  sitting  would 
doubtless  keep  out  any  arrows  shot  from  the  village, 
which  at  a  distance  of  forty  yards  would  already  be 
beginning  to  drop,  we  and  our  men  would  certainly  be 
very  much  exposed  at  any  time  that  we  left  its  shelter. 
Any  attempt  at  removing  our  camp  to  the  plains,  a  little 
farther  away  from  the  village,  would  only  have  been  mis- 
taken for  flight,  and  would  have  induced  the  Bakongo  to 
attack  us  immediately.     The  only  thing  to  do  was  to  stay 


3i8      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE    KASAI 

where  we  were,  to  avoid  any  act  of  aggression,  and  to 
appear  as  unconcerned  as  possible.  We  summoned  our 
Bambala  porters  and  now  informed  them  for  the  first  time 
that  the  two  long  cases  which  we  carried  with  us  con- 
tained ten  rifles ;  for  up  to  this  moment  we  had  kept  our 
people  in  ignorance  of  the  fact  that  we  possessed  any  arms 
except  our  own  sporting  guns.  Upon  seeing  the  rifles,  our 
trusty  Bambala  suggested  that,  instead  of  issuing  these 
arms  to  them,  we  ourselves  should  endeavour  to  shoot 
such  of  the  Bakongo  as  carried  most  arrows  directly  hos- 
tilities began,  so  that  our  people,  covered  by  our  firing, 
might  rush  up  and  take  the  weapons  of  the  slain,  and  so 
be  provided  with  arms  in  the  use  of  which  they  were 
practised,  instead  of  the  rifles  with  which  they  had  never 
learned  to  shoot.  This  we  decided  to  attempt  as  soon  as 
any  hostile  move  was  made  by  the  enemy.  Our  Bambala 
porters  then  proceeded  to  dress  their  hair  with  oil,  and 
to  smear  their  countenances  with  Reckitt's  blue,  and,  thus 
beautified,  waited  calmly  for  the  trouble  to  begin.  At 
this  crisis,  as  always,  our  men  behaved  in  a  most  exemplary 
manner,  never  causing  us  a  moment's  anxiety  as  to  their 
loyalty,  and  never  complicating  affairs  by  an  aggressive 
act  or  word  to  the  Bakongo.  That  night  we  loaded  all 
our  guns  before  we  put  them  by  our  bedsides,  and  we 
placed  in  readiness  two  boxes  of  rockets  usable  in  a 
i2-bore  shot-gun,  which,  although  they  were  incapable  of 
inflicting  any  damage,  we  thought  might  possibly  strike 
terror  into  the  hearts  of  the  Bakongo.  After  we  had 
turned  in  we  heard  a  meeting  being  held  within  the 
village,    at    which    several    speakers    held    forth    at    great 


INTO   THE   UNKNOWN   COUNTRY        319 

length,  but  although  we  could  just  make  out  that  war 
was  the  subject  of  discussion,  we  could  not  hear  suf- 
ficiently well  to  gather  any  information  as  to  what  the 
natives  intended  to  do.  We  fully  expected  to  be  attacked 
that  night,  but,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  the  Bakongo  never  left 
their  village  until  morning,  and  then  no  one  approached 
our  camp.  The  women  and  children  still  kept  out  of 
sight,  and  we  noticed  that  all  of  the  men  carried  arms, 
and  many  of  them  were  busily  occupied  in  putting  new 
tips  or  feathers  upon  their  arrows,  in  manufacturing  new 
bows,  or  in  paring  down  stout  creepers  with  which  to 
make  bow-strings.  Our  porters  had  purchased  a  good 
deal  of  food  upon  arriving  at  Kenge  when  the  natives 
were  friendly,  so  we  told  them  on  no  account  to  accept 
any  eatables  from  the  Bagongo  should  they  offer  any  for 
sale,  for  we  feared  that  some  attempt  might  be  made  to 
poison  them ;  for  ourselves  we  had  plenty  of  European 
stores,  so  that  for  the  time  being  we  had  no  need  to 
bother  about  our  food  supply.  But  the  outlook  was  not 
a  particularly  bright  one,  for  it  was  evident  that  the 
Bakongo,  if  they  did  not  attack  us,  would  certainly  at- 
tempt to  starve  us  out,  and  we  should  therefore  be  eventually 
compelled  to  retreat  towards  the  Loange,  in  which  case 
it  was  practically  certain  that  we  should  find  that  the 
people  of  Kenge  had  caused  the  inhabitants  of  the  villages 
through  which  we  had  passed  previously  to  rise  against 
us  upon  our  return  journey,  and  we  should  therefore  be 
compelled  to  fight  our  way  to  the  Loange  with  only 
twenty-four  men,  many  of  whom  would  be  occupied  in 
transporting    the    objects    which    we    had    already    bought 


320       LAND    AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

for  the  Museum ;  for  we  were  firmly  determined  that, 
even  if  we  had  to  abandon  the  rest  of  our  baggage,  we 
would  do  our  best  to  bring  away  the  things  which  we 
had  procured  at  a  cost  of  so  much  trouble  and  expense. 
Even  if  we  could  succeed  in  reaching  the  Loange  River, 
we  were  sure  that  the  natives  would  have  concealed  all 
the  canoes,  so  that  our  plight  by  the  riverside  would 
hardly  be  better  than  it  was  at  Kcnge.  During  the  day, 
possibly  as  a  result  of  advice  given  by  some  speaker  at 
the  over-night  assembly  in  the  village,  the  Bakongo  pro- 
ceeded to  clear  away  the  cassava  hushes  around  our  camp. 
A  worse  piece  of  strategy  could  hardly  be  imagined,  for 
whereas  the  bushes  had  offered  perfect  cover  for  any  one 
who  wished  to  creep  up  and  shoot  at  us  as  we  sat  at 
meals  or  writing  in  our  shed,  now  that  they  had  been  re- 
moved we  had  an  open  space  around  us,  in  which  we 
should  be  able  to  do  some  damage  with  our  sporting 
rifles.  Their  removal  appeared  to  us  to  render  our  danger 
far  less  imminent.  Another  night  passed  and  we  were  not 
molested.  Upon  the  following  morning  Torday  con- 
sidered that  the  time  had  arrived  for  putting  our  clock- 
work elephant  to  the  test,  and  to  exhibit  some  little  black 
dolls  which  we  had  received  from  London  during  our  last 
stay  at  Dima. 

He  accordingly  tied  one  of  the  dolls  in  a  prominent 
position  upon  the  ridge  pole  of  his  tent,  and  we  soon 
observed  that  its  presence  had  been  noticed  by  the  Bakongo. 
As  a  rule,  when  a  native  is  really  impressed  by  anything  that 
he  thinks  may  be  of  a  supernatural  character,  he  disguises 
his  feelings,  and  does  not  exhibit  the  great   curiosity  with 


MM.-l-r 

^^^^^^^B8r*«  7                         ^^^^^^^^^^k 

w 

I^^HP^  'i  ii 

1^^ 

^f 

I-       V 

1 

i  ^^N^ 

wSL 

I 

^^^^M  i^^^^'^t  flV    ^          ^^1 

^^SwivlHN^n 

/  >^ 

KhhuI 

i^M 

lifK^^'  1 

Hfli 

m 

BaKONGO    ok    KkNCE    I.OOKINC;    AT    OIR    DOI.L. 


Taii    CLOCKWORK    EI.KPHANT. 


INTO   THE   UNKNOWN   COUNTRY        321 

which  he  usually  views  any  strange  thing  the  white  man 
may  show  him,  and  we  saw  that  the  Bakongo  were  extremely 
shy  of  our  little  "  medicine,"  as  we  called  our  doll,  for  no 
crowd  collected  round  it,  but  nearly  every  one  in  the  place 
must  have  had  a  look  at  it  from  a  distance,  each  one  soon 
passing  on  silently  and  with  a  puzzled  expression  on  his  face. 
Later  on  we  saw  the  second  chief  of  the  village  loitering 
near  our  camp.  This  man  had  always  appeared  to  us  to 
be  less  inclined  for  war  than  his  colleague,  the  old  wizard, 
so  Torday  called  out  to  him  to  come  and  talk  matters  over 
with  us.  After  a  little  hesitation  he  came.  Torday  ex- 
plained to  him  that  although  we  did  not  want  war,  we  were 
by  no  means  afraid  of  it,  and  showed  the  chief  our  guns. 
We  also  related  a  few  shooting  stories,  not  all  of  them, 
perhaps,  strictly  true,  in  which  we  dwelt  upon  the  enormous 
number  of  buffalo,  &c.,  that  daily  fell  to  our  rifles  when 
we  took  the  trouble  to  go  out  shooting  ;  and  Torday  gave 
the  man  to  understand  that  the  presence  of  a  great  fetish 
was  responsible  for  our  success  in  the  use  of  our  guns. 
The  chief  could  not  suppress  his  curiosity  as  to  the  nature 
of  this  "  fetish,"  and  Torday,  after  pretending  that  he 
scarcely  dared  to  worry  it  by  introducing  strangers,  finally 
agreed  to  show  it  to  him.  He  entered  his  tent,  and 
wound  up  the  clock-work  elephant,  while  I  remained  out- 
side with  the  chief.  At  a  word  from  Torday  I  drew  back 
the  flap  and  gently  pushed  the  native  in.  The  elephant 
began  to  move.  One  glance  at  the  little  toy  walk- 
ing along  the  top  of  a  gun-case,  waving  its  trunk 
in  the  semi-darkness  of  the  tent,  was  sufficient  for  the 
chief;    with  a  gasp   of  fear   he  sprang  backward   through 

X 


322      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

the  tent  door  and  attempted  to  bolt.  We  insisted  upon  his 
having  another  look,  but  it  was  a  very  brief  one,  and  crying, 
"  I  will  bring  you  back  those  chickens  we  have  stolen,"  the 
old  man  rushed  off  to  the  village  as  hard  as  his  legs  would 
carry  him.  A  stir  was  immediately  noticeable  among  the 
Bakongo,  and  after  some  delay  a  party  of  them  came  over 
to  us,  bringing  with  them  the  stolen  fowls.  Torday  then 
gave  a  discourse  upon  the  might  of  our  "  elephant,"  but 
declined  to  disturb  it  again  to  satisfy  their  curiosity ;  he 
informed  the  people,  however,  that  it  never  slept,  so  that 
any  attempt  to  surprise  us  could  only  result  in  rousing  it 
to  anger,  with  horrible  consequences  to  the  offenders.  He 
then  proceeded  to  set  fire  to  a  little  whisky,  which,  in  the 
darkness,  the  natives  of  course  mistook  for  water,  and 
remarked  that  the  local  rivers  would  blaze  up  finely  if  once 
we  took  it  into  our  heads  to  burn  them. 

The  effect  of  our  game  of  bluff  upon  the  people  of 
Kenge  was  greater  than  we  could  ever  have  hoped  it  would 
be.  The  attitude  of  the  Bakongo  towards  us  immediately 
changed.  I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  their  hostility  changed 
to  friendliness,  but  their  desire  to  attack  us,  or  to  starve  us 
out,  gave  way  to  a  wish  to  get  rid  of  us  as  soon  as  possible 
without  arousing  the  anger  of  our  "  fetish."  Upon  the  day 
following  the  exhibition  of  our  elephant  we  found  the 
people  quite  ready  to  discuss  with  us  the  possibility  of  our 
moving  on  to  another  village,  and  the  once  truculent  chief 
now  informed  us  that  his  people  would  be  perfectly  willing  to 
carry  our  loads  on  to  the  village  of  Makasu,  some  eight  miles 
as  the  crow  flies  to  the  north-east,  but,  bearing  in  mind  the 
fact  that  news  travels  quickly  in  Africa,  we  were  anxious  to 


INTO   THE   UNKNOWN   COUNTRY        323 

ascertain  whether  or  not  the  inhabitants  of  this  latter  place 
would  be  willing  to  receive  us,  after  having  heard,  as  doubt- 
less they  already  had,  of  the  magical  powers  which  we  were 
believed  to  possess.  The  chief  of  Kenge  offered  to  send 
one  of  his  men  as  an  envoy  to  them,  and  Mayuyu,  who  had 
performed  the  same  office  for  us  before  our  journey  from 
Kanenenke,  suggested  that  he  should  accompany  him. 
These  two  accordingly  set  out  for  Makasu,  and  returned  in 
the  evening  with  the  information  that  the  people  there,  who 
we  now  learned  for  the  first  time  were  Bashilele,  were  quite 
willing  to  receive  our  visit. 

We  stayed  on  two  or  three  more  days  at  Kenge,  however, 
employing  our  time  in  taking  photographs,  for  the  natives 
were  much  too  frightened  of  our  elephant  to  object  to  our 
wandering  freely  about,  and  using  our  cameras  as  much  as 
we  liked.  We  learned  now  that  the  reason  for  the  hostility 
of  the  Bakongo  was  that,  although  they  knew  that  Torday 
had  brought  little  or  no  iron  with  him,  they  had  always 
hoped  that  upon  my  arrival  a  further  supply  of  that  com- 
modity would  appear,  and  it  was  their  disappointment, 
when  they  found  that  I  had  nothing  with  me  that  they 
wanted,  which  caused  their  friendly  attitude  to  change  to  one 
of  insolent  aggression.  During  the  period  of  strained  relation- 
ship with  the  natives  which  I  have  just  described,  Torday  and 
I  were  both  of  us  confident  that,  in  the  event  of  hostilities, 
we  should  be  able  to  retrace  our  steps  to  the  Loange,  even  if 
considerably  harassed  on  the  way ;  but  when  I  look  back 
upon  the  incident,  I  do  not  think  that,  had  the  Bakongo 
decided  to  attack  us,  and  to  raise  the  western  villages 
against    us,    we    should   any  of  us  have  had  the  slightest 


324  LAND  AND  PEOPLES  OF  THE  KASAI 
chance  of  reaching  the  river  alive.  I  think,  therefore,  that 
it  is  not  too  much  to  claim  for  the  clock-work  toy  that  it 
prevented  a  massacre.  It  is  possible  that  some  of  my  readers 
may  have  imagined  that  we  contemplated  swindling  the 
natives  when  I  stated  that  we  were  prepared  to  sell  one  of 
our  elephants  for  some  very  valuable  curio,  but  I  think  the 
events  at  Kenge  should  prove  that  the  toy  possessed  a  very 
real  value  for  the  native,  and  my  readers  can  easily  imagine 
how  much  the  possession  of  it  would  increase  the  prestige 
of  any  chief  to  whom  we  sold  one.  By  our  use  of  the 
elephant  we  were  certainly  taking  advantage  of  the  negro's 
ignorance  and  superstition,  but  as  this  course  assuredly  pre- 
vented bloodshed,  I  think  that  we  were  fully  justified  in 
adopting  it.  Our  envoys  having  been  welcomed  at  Makasu,^ 
we  despatched  all  but  three  or  four  of  our  Bambala  porters 
in  the  very  early  hours  of  one  morning  to  carry  some  of 
our  loads  on  to  that  village,  ordering  them  to  return  as  soon 
as  possible,  leaving  two  or  three  of  their  number  on  guard 
over  the  baggage.  From  what  Mayuyu  had  told  us  of  the 
distance  to  Makasu,  we  concluded  that  our  men  should  have 
returned  to  Kenge  by  about  1 1  o'clock  in  the  morning,  but 
it  was  not  until  sundown  that  they  turned  up.  During  these 
long  hours  of  waiting  we  endured  an  agony  of  suspense. 
I  have  already  mentioned  that  we  had  been  informed  of  the 
presence  in  the  neighbourhood  of  a  party  of  Badjok  traders, 
and  that  we  had  considered  it  highly  probable  that  these  people 
were  engaged  in  the  purchase  of  slaves.  Knowing  them  to 
be  well  armed  and  warlike,  we  began  to  fear  that  our  porters 
had  encountered  them  and  had  been  captured,  to  be  hurried 
off   southwards,   and   sold   in   the    neighbourhood    of   the 


INTO   THE   UNKNOWN   COUNTRY        325 

Angola  frontier.  Such  a  possibility  filled  us  with  horror, 
for  we  had  a  very  real  affection  for  our  gallant  followers 
from  the  Kwilu,  and  we  realised  that,  had  they  been  taken 
prisoners,  we  should  be  absolutely  powerless  to  rescue  them, 
although  we  were  fully  determined  to  start  off  in  pursuit  of 
the  Badjok  should  we  learn  that  our  men  had  been  taken. 
Such  a  pursuit  should  have  been  futile,  for  we  could  not 
expect  any  assistance  from  the  Bakongo,  and  the  Badjok 
would  certainly  march  faster  than  we  could  follow.  Our 
feelings,  however,  were  so  strong  upon  the  subject  that  I 
have  no  doubt  we  should  have  attempted  it.  Our  relief 
when  our  men  turned  up  safe  and  sound  knew  no  bounds. 
It  appears  that,  having  started  in  the  darkness  of  the  early 
morning  under  the  guidance  of  Mayuyu,  who  had  only 
once  traversed  the  road  to  Makasu,  the  Bambala  had  lost 
their  way  in  some  woodland,  and  had  taken  many  hours  to 
reach  Makasu,  proceeding  by  a  very  circuitous  route.  Upon 
their  arrival,  however,  the  Bashilele  had  received  them 
kindly,  and  had  offered  them  food  and  water,  expressing 
their  desire  to  see  us  in  their  village  as  soon  as  we  could 
come  along.  Next  day,  therefore,  we  turned  our  backs  on 
Kenge,  and  proceeded  into  the  country  of  the  Bashilele.  I 
went  on  in  advance,  while  Torday  remained  at  Kenge  until 
all  the  loads  had  been  despatched.  Shortly  after  leaving  the 
village  I  came  upon  quite  a  considerable  river,  known  to  the 
natives  as  the  Lumbunji,  which  is  here  about  sixty  yards  in 
width,  with  a  very  strong  stream.  From  what  we  could 
gather  from  the  natives,  this  river  must  rise  somewhere  near 
to,  or  just  to  the  south  of,  the  Angola  boundary,  and  it 
flows  parallel  to  the  Loange,  entering  the  Kasai  a  little  to 


326       LAND   AND    PEOPLES   OF   THE    KASAI 

the  eastward  of  that  river.  For  a  few  miles  from  its  con- 
fluence with  the  Kasai  it  is  navigable  for  canoes,  but  at 
Kenge  the  stream  is  too  strong  and  the  river  much  too 
littered  up  with  fallen  trees  to  render  the  use  of  boats 
possible.  A  rough  bridge  of  logs  had  existed  across  it  on 
the  way  from  Kenge  to  Makasu,  but  this  had  recently  been 
destroyed  by  the  Bakongo,  evidently  with  the  intention  of 
cutting  off  our  retreat  to  the  eastwards,  so  that  I  had  to  waste 
some  time  on  the  march  while  our  Bambala  felled  saplings 
and  reconstructed  the  bridge. 

Upon  arriving  at  Makasu  I  found  all  the  inhabitants 
squatting  in  the  shed  beneath  the  ramparts  of  the  village 
awaiting  my  arrival.  Not  one  man  was  armed,  and  I,  of 
course,  carefully  avoided  arousing  any  suspicion  by  appear- 
ing in  the  village  with  a  rifle  in  my  hands  or  with  a  gun- 
bearer  close  beside  me.  The  chief  greeted  me,  and  took 
me  to  a  shed  outside  the  walls  where  the  loads  we  had 
despatched  the  day  before  had  been  deposited.  Here  I 
awaited  the  arrival  of  the  Bakongo,  who  were  bringing  on 
our  belongings  from  Kenge.  They  had  agreed  to  accept 
wages  in  salt  for  this  service,  but  I  fully  anticipated  that 
some  trouble  might  arise  over  their  payment.  To  my 
astonishment,  however,  they  accepted  the  amount  of  salt 
agreed  upon  without  a  murmur,  and  by  dint  of  throwing 
in  a  tew  additional  handfuls  of  that  useful  commodity  to 
the  portions  of  one  or  two  women  who  had  volunteered  to 
carry  loads,  and  by  giving  a  little  here  and  there  as  presents 
to  children  who  accompanied  their  mothers,  I  managed  to 
send  the  majority  of  the  Bakongo  back  to  their  homes 
smiling  and  contented.     One  of  our  boxes  had  been  broken 


INTO   THE   UNKNOWN  COUNTRY        327 

open  on  the  way.  That  box  contained  the  clock-work 
elephant !  The  two  Bakongo  who  were  carrying  it  had 
turned  over  some  cloth  which  they  found  upon  opening  the 
lid,  in  the  hope  that  there  might  be  some  iron  or  knives 
concealed  beneath  it,  and  what  their  feelings  were  when  they 
discovered  that  they  had  disturbed  the  dreaded  elephant  I 
cannot  imagine.  At  any  rate  they  deposited  it  at  Makasu 
and  started  off  for  home  at  a  run,  without  waiting  a  moment 
to  receive  the  payment  which  I  should  have  been  perfectly 
willing  to  give  them.  Torday  came  on  just  before  sun- 
down, accompanied  by  the  Bambala,  who  had  that  day 
accomplished  the  journey  from  Kenge  twice.  An  incident 
occurred  during  this  march  which  serves  to  show  the  lack 
of  forethought  of  the  negro.  Realising  that  our  men  had 
a  hard  day's  work  before  them,  Torday  had  in  the  morning 
issued  orders  that  they  should  partake  of  a  hearty  meal 
before  starting  upon  their  first  journey,  and  that  they 
should  carry  a  little  food  with  them  on  the  way.  When 
he  arrived  in  Makasu  all  the  Bambala  excepting  one 
(Moamba,  the  youth  who  had  joined  us  at  Luano),  accom- 
panied him,  and,  imagining  that  he  had  stopped  to  wash 
himself  at  some  stream,  the  lad's  absence  at  first  caused  us  no 
anxiety,  but  when  three  or  four  hours  later  he  had  not  put  in 
an  appearance,  we  feared  that  he  must  have  been  molested 
by  the  Bakongo,  or  that  some  accident  might  have  happened 
to  him.  Several  of  his  companions  at  once  volunteered  to 
return  along  the  road  in  search  of  him,  and,  taking  one  of 
our  camp  lanterns,  they  set  out.  After  some  time  they 
returned,  bringing  with  them  Moamba,  who  was  in  a  very 
exhausted  condition.     We  gave  him  a  good  dose  of  whisky 


328       LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

and  water,  which  we  had  some  difficulty  in  making  him 
drink,  and  some  food,  and  then  inquired  what  had  happened 
to  him.  "  Hunger  seized  me,"  replied  the  boy,  "  so  I  lay 
down  in  the  forest."  When  asked  what  he  thought  was 
going  to  happen  to  him  there,  he  said  that  he  did  not  know. 
He  then  informed  us  that  he  had  forgotten  to  eat  anything 
before  starting  out  in  the  morning,  despite  our  orders  that 
the  men  were  to  partake  of  a  hearty  breakfast,  and  apparently 
had  thrown  away  the  food  he  had  brought  with  him  for  the 
journey.  When  he  began  to  feel  weak  from  the  effects  of 
hunger  he  had  ceased  to  care  in  the  least  what  happened  to 
him.  A  day  or  two's  rest  at  Makasu,  however,  soon  set 
him  on  his  feet  again,  and  he  was  quite  strong  by  the  time 
we  were  ready  to  move  on  to  the  next  village. 


CHAPTER   IX 

AMONG   THE   BASHILELE 

Upon  quitting  Kenge  we  left  the  country  of  the  Bakongo, 
leaving  behind  us  all  serious  difficulties  in  our  journey  from 
the  Loange  to  the  Kasai.  The  Bashilele  of  Makasu  were 
remarkably  friendly ;  they  were  dignified  in  their  manner 
towards  us,  and  although,  when  we  showed  them  the  clock- 
work elephant,  they  were  evidently  much  impressed  by  it, 
we  could  clearly  see  that  the  natives  were  by  no  means 
afraid  of  us.  They  had  expressed  their  willingness  to  receive 
us  and  to  treat  us  well,  and  so  long  as  we  refrained  from 
any  sort  of  aggression  towards  them,  it  was  evidently  their 
intention  to  let  us  pass  freely  through  their  country.  While 
staying  in  this  village  we  gathered  a  certain  amount  of 
information  about  the  Bashilele  and  the  Bakongo.  These 
peoples  are  in  reality  two  divisions  of  the  same  tribe,  both 
of  them  owing  allegiance  to  the  same  great  chief,  Goman 
Vula.  From  various  unmistakable  pieces  of  evidence  to  be 
found  in  their  culture,  Torday  has  been  able  to  definitely 
establish  the  fact  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  country  between 
the  Loange  and  the  Kasai  are  an  offshoot  of  the  great 
Bushongo  nation,  as  he  had  so  strongly  suspected  after  his 
researches  at  the  Mushenge.  He  found  that  many  of  the 
mythical  heroes  of  the  Bushongo  were  well  known  to  the 

Bashilele,  and  the  use  of  a  divining  instrument  in  the  shape 

329 


330       LAND   AND    PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

of  a  crocodile,  exactly  similar  to  that  in  use  among  the 
Bushongo,  as  well  as  similarity  in  the  shape  of  their  houses, 
are  examples  of  some  of  the  points  which  indicate  the  close 
relationship  between  these  peoples.  With  regard  to  Goman 
Vula,  we  learned  that  his  village  lies  two  days'  march  to  the 
north  of  Makasu.  It  is,  of  course,  difficult  to  estimate 
how  many  miles  this  represents,  for  the  only  means  that  the 
native  possesses  of  indicating  the  length  of  a  journey  is  to 
show  the  point  in  the  heavens  at  which  the  sun  would  be 
when  the  traveller  arrived  at  his  destination  were  he  to  start 
at  dawn.  We  roughly  calculated  the  probable  distance 
from  Makasu  to  Goman  Vula's  capital  at  about  fifty  miles 
by  the  track,  but  as  the  crow  flies  the  distance  would  most 
likely  be  considerably  shorter.  In  displaying  our  elephant 
at  Makasu  we  were  careful  to  explain  that  by  nature  our 
"  fetish  "  was  peaceful,  and  that  only  when  any  violence  was 
offered  to  us  or  to  our  followers  would  it  cause  harm  to  befall 
the  natives  through  whose  country  we  were  travelling,  and 
this  explanation  seemed  to  set  the  minds  of  the  natives 
completely  at  rest  with  regard  to  the  peaceful  nature  of  our 
visit.  During  the  two  or  three  days  that  we  spent  in  this 
village  resting  after  the  excitements  of  Kenge,  we  were 
several  times  taken  out  in  search  of  guinea-fowl  by  the 
Bashilele,  who  seemed  quite  ready  to  do  anything  that  we 
asked  them,  and  who  were  very  much  astonished  at  seeing 
birds  shot  on  the  wing.  We  discovered  that  the  rumours 
we  had  heard  of  the  presence  of  the  Badjok  traders  in  the 
district  had  been  quite  true,  for  we  found  outside  Makasu 
a  group  of  the  temporary  grass  shelters  which  these  people 
erect  when  travelling,  for  it  appears  that  they  do  not  as  a 


A  B\D.ioK  c.wir  AT  Makasu. 


AZtt^-y^'  .W?9Cf^% 


Bashilele  hunters. 


AMONG   THE   BASHILELE  331 

rule  reside  in  the  villages  which  they  visit.  This  encamp- 
ment had  been  only  recently  deserted,  and  we  learned  that 
its  inhabitants  had  been  engaged  solely  in  collecting  rubber, 
to  be  subsequently  sold  to  the  white  traders  on  the  Kasai, 
so  that  our  fears  for  the  safety  of  our  porters  had  in  reality 
been  quite  unfounded.  We  could  not  learn  much  from  the 
Bashilele  of  Makasu  with  regard  to  the  number  of  stages 
which  we  should  have  to  march  before  reaching  the  Kasai, 
but  they  agreed  to  carry  our  loads  to  another  village,  also 
called  Makasu,  about  ten  miles  to  the  south-east,  where 
they  said  we  should  be  able  to  obtain  more  precise  infor- 
mation. Our  way  lay  beside  the  course  of  a  brook  named 
the  Miloa,  a  tributary  of  the  Lumbunji,  in  the  swamps 
around  the  course  of  which  we  found  many  fresh  tracks  of 
elephants. 

Our  reception  at  the  second  village  of  Makasu  was  as 
friendly  as  at  the  first.  Torday  explained  to  the  natives  that 
our  only  desire  was  to  reach  our  homes,  and  in  order  to  do 
this  it  was  necessary  for  us  to  proceed  to  one  of  the  factories 
of  the  Kasai  Company  upon  the  shores  of  the  Kasai,  of  the 
existence  of  which  the  people  of  this  village  had  heard. 
But  the  chief  of  the  second  village  of  Makasu  appeared 
by  no  means  anxious  for  us  to  leave  at  once,  so  we  willingly 
settled  down  to  spend  a  few  days  in  his  village,  where  we 
could  enjoy  a  splendid  opportunity  of  studying  the  daily 
life  of  a  people  among  whom  European  influence  has  not 
yet  begun  to  be  felt.  Every  village  between  the  Loange 
and  the  Kasai  appears  to  be  entirely  self-supporting  ;  every 
man  manufactures  his  own  garments,  weaving  the  cloth 
from    palm  fibre   in   the   same   way  as  do  the  Bushongo ; 


332      LAND   AND    PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

accompanied  by  his  dogs,  he  participates  in  hunting  expedi- 
tions, supplying  his  family  with  meat  from  his  share  of  the 
game,  and  the  Bashilele  as  hunters  are  far  superior  to  their 
kinsmen  around  the  Mushenge  ;  he  makes  his  own  bows, 
bow-strings,  and  the  shafts  of  his  arrows,  while  he  forms 
and  decorates  with  carving  the  wooden  cups  from  which  he 
drinks  his  palm  wine  ;  his  wives  cultivate  sufficient  land  to 
supply  the  family  needs  with  cassava ;  his  children  tend  his 
chickens  and  goats.  In  fact,  the  only  things  which  a  man 
must  buy,  being  unable  to  make  them  for  himself,  are  iron 
objects,  such  as  arrow  and  spear-heads,  knives,  and  bracelets, 
all  of  which  are  the  work  of  the  village  blacksmith,  who  is 
paid  for  them  in  meat,  fowls,  food  stuffs,  or  palm  cloth. 

When  not  engaged  in  hunting,  clearing  the  ground  for 
plantations,  or  in  the  manufacture  of  cloth,  the  Bashilele 
men  lead  a  life  of  complete  idleness,  smoking  green  tobacco 
in  carved  wooden  pipes  in  the  sheds  or  beneath  the  shade 
of  the  palm-trees  outside  the  village  walls.  Early  in  the 
morning  a  little  cassava  dough  is  eaten,  and  the  women  go 
forth  to  work  in  the  fields,  returning  in  the  evening  to 
pound  the  cassava  root  into  flour,  and  to  cook  the  evening 
meal.  Such  is  the  daily  life  of  a  people  upon  whom 
European  civilisation  has  as  yet  made  not  the  slightest 
impression.  So  little  do  the  Bashilele  wander  beyond  the 
immediate  surroundings  of  their  own  homes,  that  very  few 
of  the  inhabitants  of  any  village  are  acquainted  with  the 
track  even  to  the  next  settlement  of  their  own  tribe  ;  and 
we  found  in  travelling  through  their  country  that  often, 
even  when  carrying  our  loads  to  another  Bashilele  village, 
the   men  vv'ould  arm   as  if  for   war — that  is  to   say,   they 


AMONG   THE   BASHILELE  333 

would  take  with  them  from  twenty  to  thirty  arrows  with 
their  bows,  instead  of  the  two  or  three  habitually  carried. 
The  Bashilele,  like  the  Bakongo,  are  a  fine,  stalwart  race 
of  men.  They  use  a  good  deal  of  tukula  in  the  orna- 
mentation of  their  persons,  and  their  hair  is  usually  care- 
fully dressed  in  a  high  topknot — a  point  in  which  they 
differ  from  the  Bakongo,  who  usually  plait  their  hair 
closely  upon  their  heads.  By  nature  they  are  peaceful,  and 
by  no  means  live  up  to  the  terrible  reputation  with  which 
they  have  been  endowed  by  white  men  who  have  never 
visited  their  country  ;  but  at  the  same  time  the  Bashilele 
are  born  warriors,  and  any  act  of  aggression  on  the  part  of 
the  traveller  would  be  instantly  and  energetically  resented. 
During  our  stay  at  the  second  village  of  Makasu,  an  incident 
occurred  which  showed  us  that  the  Bashilele  are  always 
ready  to  defend  their  homes.  We  were  sitting  one  after- 
noon in  a  shed  amusing  ourselves,  and  considerably  astonish- 
ing the  natives,  with  the  intellectual  pastime  of  blowing 
soap  bubbles  through  a  straw,  when  a  woman  ran  up  from 
the  fields  to  the  village,  shouting  and  gesticulating  wildly 
as  she  ran.  In  a  moment  the  men,  who  had  been  occupied 
at  their  looms,  or  sitting  smoking  in  the  shade  of  the 
palm-trees,  had  sprung  to  their  feet  and  rushed  inside  the 
stockade,  to  reappear  in  a  moment  or  two  armed  to  the 
teeth,  some  thrusting  bundles  of  arrows  into  their  girdles, 
others  twisting  spare  bowstrings  round  their  heads,  and  all 
shouting  at  the  top  of  their  voices,  many  of  them  giving 
utterance  to  the  Bashilele  war-cry.  All  the  women  then 
began  to  hurry  in  from  their  work  in  the  plantations  and 
sought  shelter  within  the  walls,  at  the  same  time  shouting 


334      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

to  the  men,  and  evidently  inciting  them  to  attack  some 
enemy  whom  we  had  not  yet  seen.  One  of  our  men  then 
came  and  informed  us  that  a  party  of  Badjok  traders  were 
approaching  the  village,  and  that  the  Bashilele  had  decided 
to  attack  them.  Hearing  an  increased  commotion  upon 
the  farther  side  of  the  village,  Torday  and  I  hurried  round 
to  see  what  was  going  on,  and,  upon  turning  the  corner 
of  the  stockade,  a  truly  remarkable  sight  presented  itself. 
The  Bashilele,  yelling  at  the  tops  of  their  voices  and 
dancing  up  and  down  in  a  frenzy  of  excitement,  were 
surrounding  three  or  four  of  the  Badjok,  stretching  their 
bows  at  them,  and  threatening  them  with  instant  death. 
The  Badjok,  who  consisted  of  one  man,  armed  with  a 
flintlock  gun,  and  two  or  three  small  boys  carrying  baskets, 
stood  in  the  midst  of  their  enemies  without  making  the 
smallest  attempt  to  defend  themselves,  and  without  dis- 
playing the  slightest  trace  of  fear ;  they  did  not  even 
appear  to  be  in  the  very  least  excited,  but  stood  there, 
while  the  Bashilele  aimed  at  them  at  a  distance  of  only  a 
few  feet,  as  calmly  as  if  they  had  been  in  their  own  village. 
One  small  boy  had  already  been  seized  by  the  Bashilele 
and  carried  off  as  a  prisoner  within  the  stockade.  Torday 
began  to  inquire  what  was  the  cause  of  this  sudden  out- 
burst on  the  part  of  the  people  of  Makasu,  but  all  that 
the  Bashilele  would  reply  was,  "  They  will  set  fire  to  the 
grass  and  frighten  away  the  game  from  our  country,  so  we 
are  going  to  shoot  the  whole  lot  of  them."  Torday  there- 
upon attempted  to  calm  down  the  excitement,  and  one  or 
two  of  the  older  Bashilele  who  were  present  cried  out 
to    their  friends    to   listen    to    what    he   had   to  say.     He 


AMONG   THE    BASHILELE  335 

remarked  that  we  were  very  averse  to  bloodshed,  and  that 
he  hoped,  out  of  friendship  for  us,  the  Bashilele  would 
refrain  from  any  breach  of  the  peace  ;  he  told  the  villagers 
that  should  the  Badjok  attempt  to  set  fire  to  the  grass  we 
ourselves  would  punish  them  ;  and  finally,  he  chaffed  the 
Bashilele  warriors  for  turning  out  in  such  force  to  attack  the 
few  small  children  whom  we  saw  before  us.  While  he  was 
speaking,  the  Bashilele  assumed  a  less  threatening  attitude 
towards  the  intruders,  and  when  he  had  finished  they 
accompanied  us  and  the  Badjok  to  our  shed  to  discuss 
what  should  be  done  ;  but  the  arrival  of  another  party  of 
Badjok  gave  rise  to  a  further  demonstration  on  the  part 
of  the  villagers,  and  it  seemed  probable  that  all  our  efforts 
to  prevent  a  massacre  would  be  of  no  avail.  During  the 
whole  of  these  proceedings  the  Bashilele  women  never  ceased 
to  scream  from  inside  the  stockade,  and  cry  out  to  their 
warriors  to  immediately  commence  hostilities,  while  one  or 
two  of  the  older  women  came  out  of  the  gates  armed  with 
large  knives,  with  the  evident  intention  of  despatching  any 
of  the  Badjok  who  might  not  be  killed  outright.  When 
matters  seemed  at  their  worst  the  chief  of  Makasu  appeared 
upon  the  scene  for  the  first  time,  and,  remarking  that  he 
alone  was  chief  and  intended  to  be  obeyed,  he  requested  his 
subjects  to  keep  quiet,  and  to  listen  to  what  Torday  had  to 
say.  Then  began  a  long  discussion.  The  chief  pointed 
out  that  the  Badjok  had  come  into  the  country  uninvited, 
and  would  in  all  probability  completely  ruin  the  hunting  of 
the  district  by  carelessly  or  intentionally  setting  fire  to  the 
grass  in  the  plains,  and  that  this  would  mean  a  serious  loss 
of  meat  to  the  Bashilele.     The  leader  of  the  Badjok  party 


336       LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF  THE   KASAI 

(most  of  which  consisted  of  small  boys  accompanied  by 
some  half-dozen  men  armed  with  flintlock  guns)  then 
informed  us  that  they  came  from  far  away  to  the  south- 
ward from  Angola,  and  were  engaged  in  collecting  rubber 
and  ivory  for  sale  at  the  white  man's  factories  on  the  upper 
Kasai,  and  that,  having  made  their  fortunes  at  this  occupa- 
tion, they  would  return  to  their  homes.  He  pointed  out 
that  the  Bashilele  themselves  had  no  use  for  the  rubber 
(they  never  sold  it  to  the  white  man),  and  that  he  and  his 
party  invariably  paid  liberal  prices  for  any  food-stuffs  which 
they  obtained  from  the  local  natives  ;  he  assured  us  that 
all  the  Badjok  were  friends  of  the  white  man,  and  that 
they  had  no  intention  of  causing  any  harm  to  any  one. 
After  a  good  deal  of  talk  on  both  sides  it  was  finally 
agreed  that  the  Badjok  should  be  allowed  to  depart  peace- 
fully upon  payment  of  tribute  to  the  chief,  and  the 
Bashilele  warriors  thereupon  dispersed  to  their  various 
occupations  as  if  nothing  at  all  unusual  had  occurred. 
Torday  remained  in  the  village  to  make  sure  that  no 
attempt  to  follow  the  strangers  should  be  made,  while  I 
escorted  the  Badjok  off  the  premises,  impressing  upon  them 
the  necessity  for  extreme  care  in  avoiding  an  accidental 
conflagration  in  the  plains,  and  telling  them  that  should  the 
Bashilele  again  decide  to  attack  them,  we  should  be  power- 
less to  prevent  it.  Torday  expressed  his  thanks  to  the 
Bashilele  chief  and  people  for  the  courteous  way  in  which 
they  had  deferred  to  his  wishes  when  he  asked  them  to 
abstain  from  an  attack,  and  he  handed  them  over  a  sack 
of  salt  to  be  distributed  among  the  people  as  a  present  to 
mark   his   appreciation   of   their    behaviour.       During   the 


AMONG   THE   BASHILELE  337 

whole  of  that  night  the  Bashilele  held  a  dance  of  triumph, 
yelling  and  singing  at  the  top  of  their  voices,  and  a  couple 
of  hours  after  sunrise  on  the  following  morning  this  dance 
was  still  in  progress,  although  many  of  the  dancers  could 
hardly  lift  their  feet  and  were  streaming  with  perspiration. 
Several  of  our  acquaintances  in  the  village  completely  lost 
their  voices  for  some  days  as  a  result  of  their  singing  in 
celebration  of  the  bloodless  victory.  And  so  the  incident 
ended  satisfactorily  for  all  concerned — the  Badjok  had  had 
a  very  lucky  escape  ;  the  Bashilele  had  been  prevented 
from  bringing  down  upon  themselves  an  invasion  in  such 
force  as  would  certainly  have  overwhelmed  them  had  they 
murdered  this  small  party  of  Badjok ;  and  we  had  been 
able  to  witness  a  real  war  scare  among  the  Bashilele,  and  to 
observe  how  courteous  these  primitive  people  are  to  guests 
for  whom  they  have  conceived  a  liking.  At  the  first  alarm 
all  the  male  members  of  the  population  of  over  six  or  seven 
years  old  had  taken  arms,  quite  small  children  of  about 
eight  being  as  eager  for  battle  as  the  grown-up  warriors  ; 
the  women,  except  for  a  few  who  came  out  to  kill  the 
wounded,  had  all  remained  behind  the  stockade,  and  in 
their  hurried  flight  from  the  plantations  had  hastily  con- 
cealed in  the  bush  their  hoes,  baskets,  and  other  belongings 
which  might  hinder  them  in  their  retreat.  As  usual  our 
own  men  behaved  with  exemplary  coolness,  and  took 
neither  one  side  nor  the  other  in  the  dispute  when  any 
interference  on  their  part  might  easily  have  caused  the 
Bashilele  to  turn  their  attentions  from  the  Badjok  to  our- 
selves. We  had  been  very  much  impressed  by  the  coolness 
of  the  Badjok  during  the  incident  related  above,   but  we 


Y 


338      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAI 

were  scarcely  prepared  for  the  display  of  audacity  which 
a  few  of  them  gave  us  next  morning  by  calmly  turning  up 
at  the  village  of  Makasu  merely,  as  they  expressed  it, 
to  wish  us  good-day.  They  absolutely  disregarded  the 
presence  of  the  Bashilele,  and  the  latter  took  no  notice 
of  them. 

After  leaving  the  second  village  of  Makasu,  which  we 
did  a  few  days  after  the  incident  alluded  to  above,  no  event 
of   any   importance    occurred    during   our   passage   to   the 
Kasai.     Up  to  Makasu  we  had  been  able  to  find  very  few 
natives  who  had  ever  been  so  far  eastwards  as  the  Black 
River  (as  the  Bashilele  term  the  Kasai),  but  now  that  we 
were  about  half-way  from  the  Loange  we  came  across  quite 
a  number  of  people  who  had  been  there,  and  we  began  to 
hear  of  the  whereabouts  of  the  Kasai  Company's  factories, 
one  of  which  we  hoped  to  reach  when  we  got  to  the  river 
bank.     As  is  often  the  case  in  the  Congo,  these  factories 
possessed   one    name    by  which   the   white    men   and   their 
employees  call  them,  and  a  totally  different  one  by  which 
they  are  known  to  the  local  natives.      It  was  very  difficult, 
therefore,  to  ascertain  which  post  it  would  be  best  for  us  to 
make  for  of  the  three  which  existed.     We  eventually  decided 
to  try  to  reach  Bena  Luidi,  which  lies  upon  the  left  bank 
of   the    Kasai    at    its   confluence   with   the   Lulua.     From 
Makasu  we  proceeded  to  a  village  named  Kitambi,  where 
we  met  with  the   same   friendly  reception   that   had   been 
accorded  us  at  both  the  Bashilele  villages  in  which  we  had 
stayed.     We  were  particularly  struck  with  the  gentlemanly 
bearing  of  all  the  Bashilele  chiefs  with  whom  we  came  in 
contact.     They  were  just  as  dignified  as  their  kinsmen  the 


Wffiji'- 


'«*!' 


AMONG   THE   BASHILELE  339 

Bushongo,  but  they  appeared  to  be  more  manly  and  lack  the 
blasd  swaggering  manner  of  such  men  as  Isambula  N'Genga, 
the  chief  of  Misumba.  The  old  chief  of  Kitambi  showed 
us  every  possible  consideration.  One  evening  Torday  and 
I  had  been  out  to  shoot  some  guinea-fowl,  and  upon  re- 
turning to  the  village  we  were  met  by  the  chief,  who 
inquired  if  we  had  heard  any  shouting  in  the  village  during 
our  absence,  and  said  that  he  would  like  to  assure  us  that 
the  disturbances  which  had  arisen  were  entirely  between  his 
own  subjects,  and  did  not  in  any  way  concern  our  men.  He 
told  us  this  that  we  might  not  imagine  that  our  people  had 
disobeyed  our  instructions  to  behave  peacefully  in  the 
village,  and  also  that  we,  his  guests,  should  not  be  in  any 
way  put  out  by  the  trouble,  which  was  of  a  purely  domestic 
nature  (in  fact,  divorce  proceedings  of  a  somewhat  stormy 
character). 

We  spent  several  days  in  Kitambi,  and  by  dint  of  dosing 
the  natives  for  various  minor  complaints  we  contrived  to 
make  ourselves  so  popular  that  they  were  quite  unwilling 
to  let  us  proceed  upon  our  way,  and  it  was  not  until  Torday 
had  resorted  to  the  device  of  playing  upon  the  feelings  of 
the  women,  saying  that  he  was  most  anxious  to  reach  his 
home  in  order  to  see  his  family,  from  whom  he  had  been 
separated  for  many  years,  that  we  were  able  to  persuade  the 
people  to  carry  our  loads,  and  thus  permit  us  to  depart 
from  their  midst.  Just  before  leaving  Kitambi  a  small 
party  of  Badjok  appeared  in  the  village,  having  been  sent 
to  visit  us  by  their  chief,  who  lived  some  two  days'  journey 
to  the  south,  to  request  us  to  stay  in  his  village,  and  to  say 
that  if  we  decided  to  pass  that  way  his  people  would  convey 


340      LAND   AND    PEOPLES   OF   THE    KASAI 

our  loads  to  the  Kasai.     We  therefore  started  off  to  the 
village  of  this  chief  Mayila,  passing  one  night  in  a  Bashilele 
hamlet  on  the  way.      Upon  arriving  at  Mayila's  village  we 
discovered  that   it  was  more  or  less  of  a  temporary  one, 
being  the  most  northerly  settlement  of  the   Badjok,  who 
have   in   considerable  numbers  moved  out  of  Angola  into 
Congo  territory,  in  order  to  collect  rubber  in  districts  like 
the  Bashilele  country,  where  the  local  natives  do  not  trade 
in  that  commodity,  and  hunt  elephants  and  sell  the  ivory 
and  rubber  thus  obtained  to  the  neighbouring  factories  of 
the  Kasai   Company.     Having  spent  -a  few  years  in   thus 
amassing   a  fortune,  the   Badjok   return  to   Angola   where 
spirituous  liquors  are  permitted  to  be  sold  to  the  natives, 
and  waste  their  substance  in  riotous  living.     So  keen  are 
these  people  to  trade  with  the  white   man   that   I  do  not 
believe  they  possess  one  single  article  which  they  would  not 
sell,  but  the  prices  they  demand  are  so  extremely  high  that 
during  our  stay  with  them  we  were  not  able  to   make  very 
extensive   purchases  for  the  Museum.     As  an  instance  of 
their  enthusiasm  to  trade,  I  may  mention  that  one  of  these 
people  suggested   to   us   in   all   seriousness  that   he  should 
accompany  us  to  Europe,  bringing  with  him  his  rubber  and 
ivory,  and  thus  save  the  middleman's  profit,  which  he  was 
astute  enough  to  know  must  be  made  by  the  trading  com- 
panies   in    Africa.     The    Badjok    are    a    truly   remarkable 
people.     Undersized  and  dirty,  there  is  nothing  picturesque 
about   them,  but  being  born   warriors   and    possessing  ab- 
solutely no  sense  of  fear,  they  have  in  the  past  migrated  from 
the  south,  conquering  tribe  after  tribe  with  which  they  came 
in   contact ;   in    fact,  only  one   race   of  the   south-western 


AMONG   THE   BASHILELE  341 

Congo,  the  Babunda,  has  fairly  defeated  them  on  the  field 
of  battle.  Nowadays  the  presence  of  European  authority 
had  stemmed  the  tide  of  the  Badjok  invasion,  and  although 
these  people,  had  they  decided  to  take  up  arms  against  the 
white  man,  could  have  rendered  the  occupation  of  the 
upper  Kasai  extremely  difficult,  their  enthusiasm  for  trade 
has  led  them  to  realise  that  fortunes  were  to  be  made  in 
commerce  with  the  white  man,  and  they  accordingly  be- 
came his  friends.  They  are  the  only  tribe  with  whom  we 
came  into  contact  who  habitually  hunt  elephants  for  their 
ivory.  Their  method  for  doing  so  is  as  follows  :  Armed 
with  flintlock  guns  (it  is  curious  that  although  they  are 
wealthy  the  Badjok  prefer  to  use  the  cheapest  variety  of 
"  gaspipe "  that  is  sold  in  the  Kasai),  a  party  of  half-a- 
dozen  hunters  proceed  to  the  various  swamps  in  search  of 
elephants.  Upon  finding  an  animal  carrying  a  good  pair  of 
tusks,  two  of  the  Badjok  fire  together  at  his  head,  usually 
bringing  him  to  his  knees.  These  two  then  run  away  and 
hastily  reload  their  guns,  while  two  more  shoot  simultane- 
ously at  the  animal's  head  and  also  retire  to  reload,  leaving 
the  remaining  two  to  take  their  shots  and  then  run  away. 
By  the  time  the  third  pair  of  Badjok  have  discharged  their 
guns  the  first  pair  have  reloaded  and  are  ready  to  shoot 
again,  and  in  this  way  a  continuous  fusillade  is  kept  up 
until  the  unfortunate  elephant  is  dead.  Although  the 
Badjok  were  very  friendly  to  us,  our  stay  in  their  village 
was  not  particularly  comfortable.  We  were  neither  of  us 
in  very  good  health,  Torday  having  suff'ered  from  toothache 
for  some  weeks,  and  I  having  broken  a  bone  in  my  hand 
some  months  before  at  the  Mushenore,  which  I  had  never 


342      LAND   AND   PEOPLES   OF   THE    KASAI 

been  able  to  have  set,  and  which  was  a  constant  cause  of 
worry  to  me.  We  were  therefore  in  need  of  as  much  rest 
as  the  conditions  of  our  life  would  allow,  but  in  the  Badjok 
village  sleep  was  almost  out  of  the  question,  for  all  through 
the  night  the  people  would  keep  up  an  animated  conversa- 
tion at  the  top  of  their  voices,  each  one  remaining  in  his 
house  and  shouting  to  his  friends  at  the  other  side  of  the 
village.  Dances,  too,  with  their  inevitable  accompaniment  of 
tom-toms,  were  very  frequently  held,  and  always  appeared  to 
take  place  as  near  as  possible  to  our  tents  just  as  we  were 
hoping  to  get  to  sleep.  Old  Mayila,  their  chief,  must  have 
been  nearly  eighty  years  of  age  ;  in  his  younger  days  he  had 
travelled  (possibly  as  a  slave  raider)  very  extensively,  and 
knew  practically  the  whole  of  the  country  between  Lake 
Tanganyika  and  St.  Paul  de  Loanda  on  the  west  coast.  Tor- 
day  was  able  to  check  his  veracity  when  he  told  us  this,  for 
he  himself  knows  the  country  about  Tanganyika,  and  also 
round  the  Portuguese  frontier  by  the  upper  waters  of  the 
Kwilu,  and  he  told  me  that  the  old  chief  knew  the  name  of 
every  stream  and  village  which  he  mentioned  to  him.  The 
old  man  was  quite  an  amusing  character.  He  induced  his 
warriors  to  hold  a  dance  in  our  honour,  in  the  course  of 
which  a  good  deal  of  powder  was  squibbed  off  from  the  old 
flintlock  guns,  and  at  the  conclusion  of  the  dance  Torday 
produced  a  present  of  gunpowder  and  requested  the  chief 
to  distribute  it  among  the  performers.  "  I  will  keep  it  for 
them,"  replied  the  old  fellow,  hastily  carrying  it  off  to  his 
hut,  and,  despite  the  angry  protestations  of  those  for  whom 
the  present  was  intended,  not  one  of  them  got  so  much  as 
a  single  load  from  those  canisters.      Old    Mayila  was  ex- 


AMONG  THE   BASHILELE  343 

tremely  fond  of  liquid  refreshment,  and  he  would  always 
contrive  to  be  present  when  I  took  my  daily  drink  of 
whisky  before  supper.  He  did  not  hesitate  to  ask  for 
some,  and  at  last  grew  so  importunate  that  I  was  compelled 
to  take  my  grog  in  the  privacy  of  my  tent,  pretending  that 
our  supply  was  finished.  Although  Mayila  had  promised 
that  his  people  should  carry  our  loads  to  the  Kasai,  we  soon 
discovered  that  he  had  in  reality  induced  us  to  visit  him  in 
the  hope  of  being  able  to  sell  us  rubber,  and  when  he  found 
that  we  would  not  purchase  any  of  that  commodity  he 
declined  to  use  his  influence  to  persuade  his  subjects  to 
carry  for  us.  No  one  was  in  the  least  anxious  to  act  as  a 
carrier,  for  the  Badjok  told  us  plainly  that  they  could  make 
a  better  profit  by  spending  their  time  in  collecting  rubber 
and  in  hunting  elephants  than  in  accompanying  us  to  the 
Kasai.  Although  this  delayed  us  some  days  it  did  not 
seriously  inconvenience  us,  for  we  persuaded  a  native  to 
convey  a  letter  to  the  white  man's  factory  of  Bena  Luidi, 
and  the  Kasai  Company's  agent  there  sent  his  own  work- 
men to  bring  on  our  loads  to  his  post.  Two  very  long 
days'  marching  sufficed  to  take  us  to  the  river  after  spend- 
ing about  two  months  in  the  unknown  country. 

Although  the  distance,  as  the  crow  flies,  from  the 
Loange  to  the  Kasai  is  only  about  eighty  miles,  we  were 
pleased  at  having  performed  a  journey  which  we  had  been 
assured  was  quite  impossible.  By  discovering  that  the  country 
consists,  for  the  most  part,  of  grassy  uplands  and  not  of 
impenetrable  forest,  we  had  cleared  up  the  doubts  which 
had  existed  as  to  its  nature  ;  Torday  had  been  able  to  con- 
firm his  theories  as  to  the  relationship  between  its  inhabi- 


344      LAND   AND    PEOPLES   OF   THE   KASAl 

tants  and  the  Bushongo,  thus  adding  very  considerably  to 
the  value  of  his  researches  among  the  latter  people,  and 
we  had  shown  that,  with  careful  handling,  the  Bakongo  and 
Bashilele  are  by  no  means  so  hostile  to  the  white  man  as 
we  had  been  led  to  believe.  We  were  particularly  pleased 
that,  contrary  to  the  predictions  of  Europeans,  we  had  been 
able  to  carry  out  our  project  without  employing  an  armed 
force  and  without  having  to  fire  a  single  shot  in  anger.  It  is 
true  that  we  have  never  been  able  to  see  the  great  chief 
Goman  Vula,  but,  as  I  have  shown,  the  means  at  our  disposal 
were  not  sufficient  to  enable  us  to  bribe  the  Bakongo  into 
leading  us  to  his  village.  As  an  instance  of  how  false 
reports  gain  credence  in  this  part  of  Africa,  I  may  mention 
that  our  safe  arrival  on  the  banks  of  the  Kasai  occasioned 
no  little  surprise  among  the  traders  and  the  captains  of  the 
steamers  v/hich  plied  upon  that  river,  for  a  rumour  had 
been  circulated  that  the  whole  of  our  party  had  been 
massacred,  and  we  ourselves  had  been  eaten  by  the 
Bakongo ! 

I  do  not  know  how  this  story  originated,  especially  as 
the  Bakongo  are  not,  and  never  have  been,  cannibals,  but  I 
imagine  that  the  white  men  who  considered  that  we  were 
running  a  great  risk  in  going  into  the  unexplored  country 
must,  in  the  absence  of  news  from  us,  have  begun  to  fear  that 
we  had  been  murdered,  and  no  doubt  each  time  these  fears 
were  expressed  something  was  added  to  them,  and  in  this 
way  what  was  considered  a  possibility  rapidly  grew  into  a 
fact.  However  it  may  have  arisen,  we  found  that  the 
rumour  had  actually  reached  the  coast,  and  furthermore,  that 
a  Belgian  trader,  on  his  way  home  to  Europe,  had  informed 


AMONG   THE   BASHILELE  345 

Messrs.  Hatton  and  Cookson's  agent  at  Boma  that  he 
should  proceed  to  England  to  break  the  news  of  my  death 
to  my  parents  !  It  was  fortunate  that  he  did  not  do  so,  for 
I  have  no  doubt  that  by  the  time  he  had  reached  my  home 
he  would  have  imagined  that  he  himself  had  been  an  eye- 
witness of  the  massacre  which  he  might  have  described, 
together  with  details  of  the  cannibal  feast  which  followed. 
With  our  arrival  at  Bena  Luidi  our  wanderings  in  the  Kasai 
came  practically  to  an  end,  for  we  descended  the  river  to 
Dima  as  soon  as  a  steamer  arrived  on  its  way  down  stream 
from  Luebo,  and  thence  hastened  on  to  the  coast  to  catch 
a  vessel  which  should  bear  us  homeward  after  an  absence  of 
two  years. 

Although  we  had  experienced  some  few  hardships,  and 
the  climate  of  the  forest  has  probably  left  its  mark  per- 
manently upon  our  constitutions,  we  were  not  displeased 
with  our  work,  for  we  had  been  able  to  amass  a  great 
number  of  objects  for  the  British  Museum,  and  we  had 
tried  our  best  to  turn  to  good  advantage  the  opportunities 
we  had  enjoyed  of  studying  the  primitive  African  negro 
before  he  has  been  materially  changed  by  contact  with  the 
European — opportunities  which,  as  the  white  man's  influence 
spreads  over  the  heart  of  the  Dark  Continent,  must  become 
rarer  and  more  rare  until  the  not  far  distant  day  arrives 
when  the  African  native  in  his  savage  state  exists  no  more. 


be,  rising  of,  221-2 
'ay,  1 1 1 

Bashilele)  tribe — 
7 
8-9 
bed     to,     287, 

306,    308-9 


301 


9 

93 

80 

id 

13, 


'3 


INDEX 


Akela  tribe,  126,  160,  161 

Aspect,  clothing,  dental  and  other 
customs,     dwellings,     &c., 
179-81 
Albinos,  negro,  at  Lusambo,  80 
Alcohol,  sale  of,  restrictions  on,  5,  6 
Alela,  see  Athenes 
Animal  Sacrifices,  Bushongo,  101-2 
Arab    influence   on   Batetela  tribes, 

160,  161 
Arrows,  poisoned,  of  the  Batwa,  83 
Athenes  (Alela)  factory,  260,  264,  274 
Country  round,  stay  and  work  at 

and  near,  265  et  seq. 
Tribes  near,  235 

Babunda  tribe — 

Aspect  of,  265 

Bowmanship  of,  273 

Characteristics  of,  267,  272,  280 

Death  and  burial  customs,  264, 273 

Dress  and  ornaments  of,  266 

Dwellings,  262 

Location  of,  235 

Rubber  trade  of,  266 

Singing  of,  35,  263 
Baboma  tribe,  26 
Baby  as  war-trap,  146 
Badinga  tribe,  Kasai  river,  hostility 

of,  276 
Badjok  tribe — 

Characteristics  of,  337-8,  340-1 

Chief,  visit  to,  339 

Dances  of,  342 

Elephant-hunting  by,  341 

Grass  shelters  of,  330 

Slave  raids  by,  78,  306-7,  324 

Trade  and  methods  of,  340 

Traders,  232,  330-1 

near  Makasu,  334  et  seq. 
Sheep  bred  by,  289 


Bangendi  sub-tribe,  rising  of,  221-2 

Visited  by  Torday,  1 1 1 
Bakongo  {see  also  Bashilele)  tribe — 
Bad  repute  of,  227 
Bombeecke  on,  278-9 
Cannibalism     ascribed     to,     287, 

falsely,  344 
Characteristics,    304,    306,    308-9 

et  seq. 
Chief  of,  294 
Cups  made  by,  282,  309 
Dress  and  ornaments,  308 

Head-dress,  330 
Dwellings  (at  Insashi),  292-3 
Fetish  of,  313 
Hunting  methods  of,  300-1 
Porters,  298,  difficulties  with,  301 
et  seq. 
Women  as,  297,  302-3 
Subdivision  of  the  Bushongo,  329 
Village  and  stockade  (Insashi),  293 
Bakuba  {see  also  Bushongo)  tribe,  80 
"  Baluba,"   so-called,   origin  of,  and 
problem  of,  72  et  seq.,  233, 
281 
Baluba  tribe  (true) — 
Birth  customs  of,  79 
Dress  of  women  of,  79 
Location  of,  74 
Bambala  tribe — 

Bowmanship  of,  273 
Cannibalism  of,  252 
Characteristics  of,  76,  254-6 
Dwellings  of,  254 
Singing  of  (Kwilu  river),  35,  263 
Slavery  among,  76,  256 
Tournaments  of,  255-6 
Northern,  Agriculture  of,  252 
Southern,  Porters  from,  253,  259 
et  seq.,  excellence  of,  304-5 
Torday's  acquaintance  with,  235 


348 


INDEX 


Banana  Point,  2 

Bangongo,   sub-tribe,  of  Bushongo, 
90 

Dwellings  of,  190 

Head-dresses  of,  188 
Bankutu  tribe — 

Appearance  and  physique  of,  133, 

134 

Cannibalism  among,  75,  125,  13S, 
148-9,  252 

Characteristics  of,  1 33-7,  142  et  scq. 

Dwellings,  133 

"Country  houses"  of,  138-9 

Keloids  used  by,  134 

Location  of,  125 

Problem  of,  149-50 

Slavery  among,  75 

Slaves  eaten  by,  on  death,  75, 148-9 

Warfare  of,  144-7 

Women  of,  134 
Bapende  tribe,  278 

Dance  of,  279 

Dress  and  ornaments  of,  &c.,  280 

Dwellings,  283 

Non-cannibal,  258 
Dog-eaters,  258-9 
Bapindji  tribe — 

Characteristics,  271-2 

Location  of,  235  269 
Bashilele  {see  a/so  Bakongo)  tribe — 

Arts  and  crafts,  330-1 

Aspect  and  physique,  333 

Bad  repute  of,  227 

Cannibalism  of,  287 

Chief  of,  279,  bearing  of,  338-9 

Courtesy  of,  to  guests,  337,  339 

Daily  life  of,  331-2 

Head-dress  of,  330 

Hostility  of,  29 

Location  of,  29 

at  Makasu,  323,  325  el  seq. 

Origin  of,  226 

Subdivision  of  the  Bushongo,  329 

Warlike  qualities  of,  333  et  seq. 
Basonge  tribe — • 

Arts  and  crafts  of,  35-7 

Cannibalism  of,  37,  61 

Dance  and  music  of,  35-6 

Weapons  of,  yj 
Basongo,  post  at,  28,  29 


Basongo-Meno  tribe,  unfriendliness 

of,  86-7,  1 1 5-6,  130 
Bateke  tribe,  village   of,    Kinshasa, 

11-12 
Batempa,  journey  to,  27,  28  et  seq. 
Christmas  Day  at,  33 
View  from,  32,  33 
Yuka  (animal)  at,  33-5. 
Batetela  country,  journey  in,  ;^'>,etseq. 

Sleeping-sickness  in,  64-5 
Batetela  tribe,  27 

Agriculture  of,  58-9,  62 
Arts  and  crafts  of,  52,  55,  65 
Cannibalism  among,  61 
Dress  of,  42,  43-4,  54 
Dwellings  of,  43 

Rubber  collectors'  huts,  131 
European  and  Arab  influence  mani- 
fest among,  56,  94,  160,  161 
Fetish  customs  of,  58 
Foods  of,  79 
Friendliness  of,  to  Europeans,  150, 

160-1,  169,  174,  175 
Head- ornaments,  male,  45 
History  of,  Okitu  on,  60-1 
Local  politics  of,  49,  67 
Marriage  customs  of,  56 
Physique,  42,  43-4 
Signalling  gong  of,  and  its  uses, 

67-8 
Sub-tribes — 

Forest  dwelling,  156,  160  et  seq. 
Tobacco  grown  and  smoked   by, 
51-2 
Batetela-Bankutu  tribes,  internecme 

border  warfare  of,  131 
Batwa     dwarfs,    Bushongo     region, 
clothing  and   hunting  skill 
of,  82-4,  89,96-7,  134 
Origin  of,  legend  of,  84 
Vocabulary  of,  secured,  96-7 
Bayanzi  tribe,  243 

Cannibalism  of,  258-9 
Courage  of,  234 
Location  of,  242,  244 
Bembe,  see  Yuka 
Bena  Dibele,  post,  123-4,  186 
Animal  life  near,  127 
Climate  at,  126-7 
Rubber  plantations  near,  124-5 


INDEX 


349 


Bena  Luidi,  factory,  338,  343,  345 
Bena  Lulua  tribe,  courage  of,  233 
Benga,  a  Bapende  "boy,"  258-9 
Bienge  factory,  location  of,  260 
Bilumbu,the,  at  Misumba,  103  et  seq. 
Birds  seen  at  Gandu,  121 
Birth  customs,  Baluba  tribe,  79 
Bishwambura,  301,  304 
Bolombo,  journey  to,  185 
Boma,  2 
Bombeecke,  M.,  of  Dumba,  277,  278 

et  seq. 
Bompe,  301,  305 
Bomu  Island,  Congo  river,  15 
Bondo,  Kwilu  cataracts  at,  269-70 
Boo,  a  boy  chief,  164,  165 
Bos  coffer  si/npsoni,  n.sp.,  discovered 

by  the  expedition,  178,  248 
Bow  versus  muzzle-loader,  69 
Bows   and  arrows  of  Batwa  dwarf 

hunters,  83 
"  Boys,"  hints  on  handling,  38  et  seq. 
Bridges,  Native,  &c. — 

Creeper,  65 

Log,  89,  326 

Pole,  275 
British   Museum,   345  ;   uses    of  ex- 
plained to  the  Nyimi,  193-4 
British   West  Africa,  natives  of,  at 

Dima,  23 
Buffalo-hunting,  Dima,  26 
Buffaloes,  love  of  salt  of,  12 

Where  found,  191,  242  et  seq.^  278 
Bush-buck,  63 
Bushongo  district — 

Volcanic  crevices  in,  88 
Iron  from,  1 12 

Legend  of  that  near  Misumba, 
88-9 
Bushongo  people,  27,  80 

Appearance  and  physique  of,  133 

Arts  and  crafts  of  {see  also  Carv- 
ings), 93-4,  207.  309 

Batwa  huntsmen  of,  82  et  seq. 

Carvings  by,  27,  36,  102,  109 
Portrait  statues,  186-7,  207-10 

Characteristics,  93-4,  219 

Children  (girls),  ornaments  of,  81 

Dances  of,  102,  iio-ii,  201  et  seq. 

Disunion  among,  198-9,  221-2 


Bushongo  people  {continued) — 
Divination  among,  21 1-2,  329-30 
Dress  of,  ceremonial,  at  dances, 

III,  201 
Dwellings  of,  95-6,  133,  190,  195-6, 

Fishing  methods  of,  185-6 
Folk-tales  of,  106 

of  the  Yuka,  106 
Foods  of,  213 
Funeral  customs  of,  21 1-2 
History  of,  compiled  by  Torday, 

205  et  seq. 
Hunting  of,  82  et  seq.,  loi,  225 
Origin  of,  205 

Punishments  among,  219-20 
Religious  ideas  of,  217 
Rising  of  (1904),  199-200,  213-4 
Ruler  of,  and  Viceroys,  90-1 
Sacred  objects  of,  208 
Secret  society  among,  strength  of, 

114 

Slaves  of,  position  of,  76 

Sub-tribes  of,  90 

Tobacco  grown  by,  2 1 5 

Trading  keenness  of,  no 

Tukula  dye  used  by,  81 

Weapons,  93 
Buya,  Bayanzi  "boy,"  a  child,  257-8 
Bwabwa  village,  visit  to,  298-9 
Bwao,  301 

Cam-wood,  see  Tukula 
Cannibalism,  past  and  present,  37, 

61,  75,  138,  142  et  seq.,  176, 

227, 258-9 
Carvings  of  the  Bushongo,  27,  36,  93, 

109,  207-10 
Cephalophos  sintpsom,n.sY>-  of  Duiker, 

found  near  Koie,  150-1 
Chaltin,  Colonel,  223,  230-1,  237 
Charms  of  the  Bapende,  280,  284 

at  Entrances  to  villages,  190-1,299 
Chenjo,  140 
Chiefs,    appointment    of,    errors    in, 

90-1,  117,  127-8 
Chikongo  dialect,  where  used,  6 
Chituba  language,  192 
Clay    applications,    Southern    Bam- 

bala,  253 


350 


INDEX 


Climate  and  health,  i,  2,  7,  9-10  et 

passim 
Cloth,  remarkable,  made  by  the  Bus- 

hongo,  210 
Cloth-weaving,  Bushongo,  93 
Congo  Railway,  5  et  seq. 
Congo     Region,      Fetishes       worn 
throughout,  58 
Sleeping-sickness  in,  17,  see  that 

head 
Southern,  slavery  in,  classes  of,  78 
Congo  River,  cataracts  on,  8,  13,  85 
Estuary  of,  ports  at,  2 
Scenery  on,  2,  4-5,  9,  15  et  seq. 
Upper,  vessels  on,  8 
Crocodiles,  where  found,  17,  21,  241 
Carved,  in    Bushongo   divination, 
2 1 1-2,  329-30 
Cuckoo,  Emerald,  132 

Dance  space,  Bakongo  village,  293 
Dances,  various  tribes — 

Badjok,  342 

Bapende  tribe,  279 

Basonge,  35-6 

Batetela  tribes,  forest-dwelling,  17 

Bushongo,     102,     iio-ii,     201-2, 
203-4,  2 1 1-2 
Death  and  Burial  Customs — 

Akela  tribe,  181 

Babunda,  264,  273 

Bankutu  (slaves),  75,  148-9 

Bushongo  tribe,  201-3,  21 1-2 

Kasai  region,  75 

Okale  tribe,  176 

Olemba  tribe,  162 
Decoy-duck,  use  of,  119-20 
Dilonda,  Bapende  chief,   283,  deal- 
ings with,  284  et  seq. 
Dima,  10,  345 

Animal  life  near,  26 

Importance  of,  21  et  seq. 

Improvements  at,  229-30 

Journey  from,  to  the  Sankuru,  27 
et  seq. 

Natives  at,  23-5 
Religion  of,  24 
Divining     instruments,     Bushongo, 

210-11,  329-30 
Divorce  case,  at  Misumba,  108-9 


Dogs,  Cannibal  horror  of  eating,2  58-9 
European,  able  to  live  in  Congo- 
land,  183 
Hunting,  of  Native  tribes,  300-1, 
.332 
Domatne privi'e,  Congo  district,  123, 

Domestic  animals,  Kasai  region,  274 
Doorposts,  carved,  at  the  Mushenge, 

197 
Dover  Cliffs,  Congo,  16 
Drawings,  coloured,  of  the  Batetela, 

52 
Dress  of  various  tribes — 
Akela,  179-80 
Bakongo,  308 
Baluba,  79 

Bambala,  Southern,  253 
Bapende    (boys',    for    initiation), 

282-3 
Batetela,  43-4 
Batwa  dwarf  hunters,  83 
Bushongo,  ceremonial,  at  dances, 

1 1 1,  201-4 
King's,  192 
Okale,  175 
Vungi,  173 
Drums — 
Friction,  255 
Signalling    (or  gong),   67-8,    132, 

175-6 
Duiker,  63-4,  n.sp.,  Kole,  150-1 
Dumba  factory,  29,  236,  260 

Journey  to  and  beyond,  275  et  seq. 
River  at,  country  round,  and  ame- 
nities of,  275  et  seq. 
Dutch  House,  trading  firm,  2 
Dwellings  of  various  tribes — 
Akela,  181 
Babunda,  262-3 
Bakongo  (of  Insashi),  292-3 
Bambala,  254 

Bangongo  (at  Misumba),  190 
Bankutu,  133 
Bapende,  283 
Bateke,  12 
Batetela,  43 
Bushongo,  330,  (at  Misumba)  95-6, 

133,    (near  the    Mushenge) 

190,  195-6 


INDEX 


351 


Dwellings  {continued) — 
Lusambo,  80 
Vungi,  173 

Earthquakes,    Misumba,    legend 

on,  88-9 
Egg-blowing,  native  surprise  at,  313, 

315 
Elephant-hunting  of  the  Badjok,  341 
Elephants,  where  found,  21,  224,  331 
Elephants,  clockwork,  effect  of,  on 

natives,  228-9,  261-2,  270-1, 

286,  300,  31 1-2,  313,  320-2, 

324,  327,  329 
Elephant's  tusk,  as  royal  chair-back, 

190,  202 
Embroidery,  Bushongo,  93-4 
Emin  Pasha,  64 

Eolo  factory,  Kasai  river,  28,  29 
Escorts,  pros  and  cons  of,  233-4 
Eyelash     extraction,     of     Bakongo 

women,  308 

Female  line,  succession  to  Bushongo 

kingship,  205 
Fermes  chapelles  of  Jesuit  missions, 

238  et  seq. 
Fetish-man,  Oyumba,  skill  oi,  163-4 
Fetishes  of  the 
Bakongo,  313 
Bushongo,  Hunting,  at   Misumba, 

lOI 

Sacrifices  to,  101-2 

Kasai  natives,  how  considered,  58 
Fire,  native  carelessness  as  to,  188 
Fishing,  primitive  methods,  120 
Flute,  played  by  the  Nose,  254-5 
Folk-tales  of  the  Bushongo,  106 
Food  of  the 

Batetela,  79 

Vungi,  174 
Forest  life,  depression  caused  by,  186 
Forest  marching,  170-3,  177-8,  214 
Forest  region,  Animal  life  in,  wealth 

of,  1 50- 1,  178-9 
Forest  tribes,  138  et  seq. 

Warfare  of,  144-7 
Forests — 

near  Kole,  mists  and  other  draw- 
backs in,  147-8 

along  the  Kwilu,  240 


Friction  Drum,  255 

Fuchs,  M.,  3 

Fuel  for  Kwilu  steamers,  241 

Fuinu  A"  /  angu,  s.w.s.,  journey  on,  14 

Gamba,  incident  at,  136-7 
Gandu — 

Animal  and  bird  life  at,  120-3 
Mosquitoes  at,  11 8-9 
Tsetse-fly  at,  1 18 
Gandu,  of  Kanenenke,  312  ei  seq. 
Gentil,  M.,  232,  236 
Ghost  dance,  of  the  Bushongo,  203-4 
Ghosts,  Bankutu  precaution  against 

148 
Girl-dancers  of  the  Basonge,  36 
Goman   Vula,   chief,  279,   294,   298, 
344 
Decree  of  against  European  goods, 

310 
Tribes  ruled  by,  329 
Village  of,  313,  330 
Gong  or  Drum,  Signalling,  Batetela 

tribes,  67-8,  133,  175-6 
Great  Lakes  Railway  Co.,  13 
Greeting,  nasal,  Olemba  tribe,  162 
Gustin,  Commandant,  31,  67,  70,  84, 
85 

Hair  and  head-dressing  of  various 
tribes — 

Babunda,  266 

Bangongo,  188 

Bankutu,  134 

Southern  Bambala^  253 

Bashilele,  330 
Hardy,  N.,  sketches  by,  21  et  alibi 
Harnessed  bush-buck,  26 
Hatton  &  Cookson,  Messrs.,  4,  12, 

345. 
Hemp-smoking  of  the  Batetela,  256 
Hippopotami — 

Kasai  river,  17,  19,  20 

Kasai  and  Sankuru  rivers,  epidemic 

among,  29 
Kwilu  river,  241 
Sankuru   river,  hunt,  with  Zappo, 

122-3 
Wissman  Pool,  20 
Human  Sacrifice,  75,  and  see  148-9 


352 

Hunting  methods,  various  tribes — 
Bakongo,  300-1 
Batwa,  82-4,  89,  96-7,  134 
Bushongo,  93,  96,  99-100 

Hyrax,  see  Yuka 

Ibanshe,  American  mission  at,  218 

Idanga  factor^',  164,  184 

Mosquitoes  and  Tsetse  at,  185 
Stay  at,  and  excursions  round,  185 
et  seq. 

Ikoka  factory,  31 

Journey  from,  to  Batempa,  32,  33 

Ikwembe,  buffaloes  near,  2ii,-b 

Initiation  ceremonies,  Bapende,  ap- 
purtenances of,  282-3 

Inkongu,  English  missionary  at,  31, 

.77 
Insashi,  Bakongo  villages,  286,  visit 

to,  290-1,  297 
Inzia  river,  235 

Affluent  of  the  Kwilu,  240 
Factories  on,  242 
Iron,  Bakongo  liking  for,  286-7,  298 
et  seq.,  309  et  seq.,  316 
from  Volcanic  crevices,  112 
Iron-working,  of  the  Bushongo,  93 
Isaka,  post,  disused,  83 
Isambula   N'Genga,   chief,   90,   and 
dandy,  91-2,  128 

Jadi,  chief,  Mokunji,  59,  68,  69 

Difficulties,  official,  concerning,  49 

Dwelling  of,  58 

Fetishes  of,  58 

Intercourse  with,  53  et  seq. 
Jesuit  missions,  Kwango  river  region, 

237-9 
Jokes,  practical,  native  love  of,  271-2 
"  Jones,"  Loango  "  boy,"  6  et  alibi 
Joyce,  T.  A.,  205 

Kancha  river,  29 

Factory  near,  260 
Kanda  Kanda,  Buffaloes  near,  249 

Lions  near,  187 
Kandale  factory,  232 

Country  and  natives  near,  232 
Kandolo  and  his  village,  166-70 
Kanenenke,  307-9 


INDEX 


Kangala  village,  and  its  chief,  282 

et  seq. 
Kasai  Company,  factories  of,  names 
of,  difficulty  concerning,  338 
Headquarters  of,  21  et  seq. 
Kasai    district    {see    also    Lualaba- 
Kasai),  345 
Coin  introduced  into,  25 
Domestic  slavery  in,  75  et  seq. 
Kasai  river,  Bashilele  name  for,  338 
Affluents  of,  21,28-9,275,  281,325, 

338 
Animal  life  on,  17-21 
Hippopotami  of,  disease  among,  29 
Journey  up,  17  et  seq.,  27  et  seq. 
Native  chief's  knowledge  of,  285 
Natives  of,  Fetish-notions  of,  58 
Fishing  and  bargaining  of,   18, 

19 

Scenery  along,  28,  30 

Storms  on,  18 

Upper,  journey  to,  227 
Kasongo-Batetela  village,  44,  and  its 

chief,  45-6,  music  at,  45 
Keloids,  tribes  using,  54,  55,  134 
Kenge  village,  312-3 

Chief  at,  314  ^/  seq. 

Difficulties  at,  316  et  seq. 

Route  to,  and  country  near,  315 
Kikwit,  post,  Kwilu  river,  25 

Bambala  tribe  around,  253  et  seq. 

Journey  to,  231  et  seq. 
Kinshasa,  10-12,  Bateke  village  at,  i 
Kisantu,  Jesuit  mission  headquarters, 

239 
Kitambi,  stay  at,  338-9 
Kole,  Bankutu  cannibals  near,  125 
Visit  to,  and  meeting  with   Ban- 
kutu at,  141  et  seq. 
Kwamouth,  16-17 
Kwango  river,  21 
Affluent  of,  239 

Journey  up,  scenery  on,  237  et  seq. 
Trade  on,  239-40 
Kwete    Peshanga    Kena,    Nyimi   or 
King  of  the  Bushongo,  227 
Appearance  of,  192 
Attitude  of  to   R.C.   missionaries, 

216-8 
Children  of,  222-3 


INDEX 


353 


Kwete  Peshanga  Kena  {continiicif)— 

Councillors  of,  198,  199 

Dress  of,  192 

Ceremonial,  202,  203 

Dwelling  of,  196-7 

Friendliness  of,  196,  216 

Household  of,  212 

Justice  of,  219-20 

Progressiveness  of,  198,  216 

Torday's  interview  with,  193-4 

Viceroys  of,  90-1 

Welcome  from,  188 
Kwilu    Buffalo,    discovered    by    the 

expedition,  178,  248 
Kwilu  country,  alleged  dangers  of, 

234 
Kwilu  river,  affluents  of,  235,  240 

Cataracts  on,  269-70 

Journey  up,  229  et  seq.,  240  et  seq. 

Outfall  of,  239 

Scenery  along,  240  et  seq.,  269 

Tribes  beside,  269 

Torday's  popularity  with,  233 

Variant  names  of,  240 
Kwilu  river  basin,  produce  from,  22, 
26 

Lac  Leopold  IL,  28 

Lardot,  M.,  125 

Le  Grand,  Lieutenant,  29 

Leaf-cups,  of  the  Bakongo,  309 

Leopards,  man-eating,  near  Mokunji, 

64 
Leopoldville,  12,  13 
Anthropological  work  at,  13,  14 
Journey  to,  6-12 
Loange  region,  Natives  of,  name  used 

by,  227 
Loange  river,  29,  281 

Crossing  of,  in  canoes,  295  et  seq. 
Loange  and  Kasai  rivers,  country  be- 
tween, 315,  343-4,  mapped, 
298 
Tribes  between,  origin  ot,  329 
Lodja,  station,  164 

Forest  north  of,  dense  population 

of,  173 
Journey  to,  152-6 
Life  at,  157  et  seq. 
Sports  at,  157-60 


Lohinde  Jofu,  sub-tribe  of  Batetela 

161 
Lomela,  tribes  near,  126 
Louis,  catechist  and  sportsman,  243, 

244  et  seq. 
Lualaba-Kasai  district,  3 

Administrative  centre  of,  31 
Luana  stream,  course  and  outfall  of, 

281 
Luano  factory,  Natives  near  known 
to  Torday,  235 

Porters  from,  252,  253 
Lubefu  river,  features  of,  65 

Journey  up,  27 

Primitive    Batetela    tribes    north 
of,  125 
Lubefu  station,  65 
Lubue  river,  22,  29 

Affluent  of,  281 

at  Dumba,  275-6 

Factories  on,  280 

Hills  near,  265 

Hospital  on,  29 
Luchima,  cook,  257  et  alibi 
Luchwadi  river  (Lotjadi),  189 

Lagoons  of,  191 
Luebo,  24,  25,  345  ;  slavery  at,  78 
Lukenye  river,  posts  on,  124 

Navigation   and    scenery   of,    153 
et  seq. 

Outfall  of,  28 

Rafts  on,  156 

Shores  of,  dangers  of,  151 

Whirlpool  on,  153 
Lulua   river,  affluent  of  the  Kasai, 

.338 
Lumbuli,  village  of,  165 
Lumbunji  river,  325-6 


Affluent  of,  ^31 


centre,  24, 


Lusambo  administrative 

25,27,  31 
Lusambo,  "  Baluba  "  of,  problem  of, 
J2  et  seq. 
Batwa  dwarfs  met  at,  82-4 
Bushongo  of,  80,  81 
Horses  at,  71 

Market  at,  features  of,  79-80 
Slavery  at,  78 

Visit  to,  and  excursions  around,  70 
et  seq. 


154 


INDEX 


Mabruki,  cook,  257 

Magyar,  Ladislaus^  explorer,  235-6, 

260 
Makasu  villages,  visit  to,  322  ct  seq., 

331,332^'/^-^'^. 
Mangay,  Rubber  plantations  at,  29 
Marriage  customs  of  various  tribes — 
Batetela,  56 
Olemba,  162-3 
Mask-charms  of  the  Bapende,  280 
Masks,  initiation,  of  Bapende  boys, 

282-3 
Masolo,  an  interpreter,  105,  106 
Matadi,    described,    5  ;    'ourney    to, 

1-5 
Mayila,  Badjok  chief,  visit  to,  339-40 

Information  from,  342-3 
Mayuyu  (Bambala),  gun-bearer,  259, 

312-3,  323-4 
M'Bei,  village,  game  at,  239,  journey 

to,  235,  240 
Mikope,  223 
Miloa  river.  Elephant    spoor    near, 

Mingi  Bengela,  223 
Misumba,  Animal  life  near,  112 
Batwa  dwarfs  near,  84 
Country  round,  86-9 
Local  government  at,  90  et  seq. 
Native    dwellings    at,    94-6,    190, 

195-6 
Native  life  and  work  at,  92  et  seq. 
Stay  at,  and  excursions  around,  89 

et  seq. 
Volcanic  crevices  near,  88,  112 
Missionary  methods,  a  suggestion  on, 

217-9 
Moamba,  Bambala  porter,  252-3 

Adventure  of,  327-8 
Mokenye     (Bambala),     gun-bearer, 

259 
Mokulu,    Babunda   village,   and    its 

chief,  267-9 
Mokunji,  Animal  life  near,  63-4 
Building  changes  in,  56 
Chief  of,  welcome  by,  53 
Visit  to,  27  et  seq. 
Morretti,  Lieutenant,  186 
Mosquitoes,  where  prevalent,  11,  19, 
23,26,  1 18-9,  148,  185 


Murderers,      Olemba,     punishment 

of,  162 
Mushenge,  the,  capital  of  the  Bus- 
hongo,  90 

Animal  life  near,  224-6 

Arrival  at,  and  stay  at,  191  et  seq. 

Country  near,  189 

Cultivation  near,  197-8 

Dwellings  at,  195 

Kwete's  palace,  196-7 

Gilded  youth  of,  200 

Journey  to,  187  et  seq. 

Life  at,  200  et  seq. 
.Musical      instruments      of     various 
tribes — 

Bambala,  254-5 

Basonge,  35-6 

Bushongo,  87,  202 
Mustard,  a  liking  for  !  288 
Mutton,  craving  for,  289-90 

Native     characteristics     {see    also 
under  Names  of  Tribes),  46, 
328 
Troops,  at  Lusambo,  71-2 
Natives,  Clothing  of,  at  Dima,  23-4 
Hints  on  handling,  38  et  seq.,  46  et 
j^^.,  136, 191,  231, 234-5, 282 
344  . 
Negroes,  Albino,  at  Lusambo,  80 
Arithmetical  limitations  of,  97 
Facial  aspects,  European  ideas  on 

133-4 
Noki,  post,  2,  4,  5 

Okale,  Batetela  sub-tribe.  Dress, 
customs,  &c.,  of,  175  et  seq. 

Okitu,  ex-chief  of  Mokunji,  49,  59, 
friendliness  of,  60  et  seq. 

Okitolonga,  Batetela  village,  43 

Olemba  (Batetela)  tribe — 
Forest  dwellers,  161 
Customs  of,  162-4 

Osodu  village,  hospitable  natives  at, 
48  (7/  seq. 

Osodu,  chief  of,  recalcitrance  of,  49; 
hospitality  of  his  children, 
50-1  ;  release  of,  67 

Oyumba  village,  161-2 


INDEX 


355 


Pakoba,     Basongo  -  Meno    village, 

Sankuru  river,  129-30 
Palm  wine,  a  mighty  drinker  of,  288-9 
Bakongo  customs  connected  with, 

308-9 
Pana,  Jesuit  ferme  chapelle,  animal 

life  at,  239-40,  245  et  seq., 

278 
Described,  243-4 
Pangu,  hospital  at,  22,  216 
Pefifer,  Lieutenant,  at  Kole,  141,  142, 

152 
Peres  de  Scheut,  mission  house  of,  at 

the  Mushenge,  191 
Petrodomus,  n.sp.  found    near  Mis- 

umba,  112 
Poison  ordeal,  Bushongo  tribe,  50, 

211 
Polygamy,  tribes  practising,  56,  202 
Pongo-Pongo,  chief  of  Misumba,  90, 

128  ;  information  from,  91  ; 

sporting  trip  with,  97-101 
Population  statistics,  problems  of,  56, 

57,58 
Porters  {see  also  Natives),  hints  on 
managing,  136 
Women  as,  297,  302-3 
Punishments,  Bushongo,  219,  220 

Rafts,  native,  Lukenye  river,  156 

Railways,  5  et  seq. 

Rattles- 
Funeral,  273 
Hunting,  99,  100,  300 
Musical,  45 

Reckitt's  blue,  native  use  of,  304,  318 

Red  river  hog,  near  Mokunji,  64 

Religion  of  the  Bushongo,  217-8 

Roman  Catholic  missionaries  to  the 
Bushongo,  216-18 

Rubber  as  currency,  266 

Rubber-collecting,  Badjok  tribe,  331 

Rubber  plantations — 
Bena  Uibele,  124-5 
Mangay,  29 

Rubber  trade  of  the  Babunda,  266-7 

Sacrifices,  Ji!^  Animal,  a;/^/  Human 
St.  Antoine  s.s.,  journey  by,  237,  252 
et  seq. 


Salt  as  currency,  42,  195,  263,  297, 

308,  310,  326 
Salt-tasting       plant      beloved       of 

Buffaloes,  121 
"  Sam,"  an  honest  "  boy,"  39, 41,  77-8, 

81,236,  257,278 
San  Salvador,  Angola,  4 
Sankuru  river,  country  near,  86 
Hippopotami    of,   disease   among, 

29 
Journey  to,  113,  w^  et  seq. 
Journey  up,  33 
Natives  from,  24 
Scenery  along,  30,  32,  33 
Tribes  near,  86 
Saut,  Commandant,  31,  70 
Schlagerstroni,  launch,  journey  on,  84 
ct  seq.  ;  its  captain  and  his 
fate,  85-6 
Shamba    Bolongongo,   King   of  the 
Bushongo,  history  of,  206-7 
Carved  portrait  of,  186-7,  207-10 
Sheep,  where  found,  33,  274,  289 
Shields  of  the  Akela  tribe,  181 
Signalling  Drum  or  Gong,  67-8,  132, 

175-6 
Sitatunga  antelope,  151 
Skulls,  collection  of,  65-6 
Slave-raids  still  carried  on,  78 
Slave  trade  and  Domestic  Slavery, 
73,  75  et  seq.,  78,  256,  306-7 
Slaves,  Buried  alive  at  funerals  of  the 
great,  75 
Bushongo,  position  of,  75-6,  212 
Eaten  by  Bankutu,  75,  148-9 
"  Freed,"  see  "  Baluba  " 
Sleeping-sickness,  11,  17,  155 
Early  symptoms  of,  82 
Isolation  methods,  Batetela,  65 
Smoking  of  the 

Bakongo,  309,  311-2 
Bashilele,  332 

Bushongo,  legend  of  its  introduc- 
tion, 215-6 
Sneezing,  Batetela  custom  as  to,  55 
Soap,  Batetela  make  of,  52 
Stanley  Pool,  Railway  to,  5  et  seq. 
Sticks  of  office  of  Bushongo  elders, 

91-2 
Stomach-ache,  odd  cure  for,  141 


356  INDEX 

Teeth,  Akela  custom  of  destroying, 

1 80 
Thesiger,  Capt.  the  Hon.W.  G.,  infor- 
mation from,  186-7,  207-10 
Thysville,  9,  10 
Tobacco,  tribes  growing  and  using, 

51-2,59,215,309,311-2,332 
Tofoke  people,  Facial  Keloids  of,  55 
Tono  people,  near  Kole,  Cannibalism 

and  other  habits  of,  142  et 

seq.,  152 
Tournaments,  of  the  Bambala,  255-6 
Toys,  see  Elephants 
Trade  goods  for  the  Loange  district, 

286-7 
Traps — 

Hunting,  145 
War,  Bankutu,  145-6 
Tsetse-fly,  12,  118,  148,  154,  155,  185 
"  Tukongo,"  branch  of  the  Bakongo, 

226-7 
Tukula  wood,  81-2 

Carved,  as  mourning  gifts,  211 
Dye  from,  uses  of,  81-2,  188,  280 
Twipolo,  Bankutu  village,  130, 132, 135 

Umbi  Enungu,  information  gathered 

from,  62  et  seq. 
Underwood,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  4 


Van  Tilborg,  Father,  s.j.,  238-9 
F(?/^(?,s.,  journeys  in,  2y  eiseq.,6c),  122 
Vtlle  de  Bruxelles,  fate  of  wrecked 

passengers  of,  15 1-2 
Volcanic  crevices,  88 

Iron  from,  112 
Vungi,    Batetela    sub-tribe.    Dress, 

customs,  &c.,  of,  173-5 

Wahis,  Baron,  3 

Wall  decorations,  of  the  Bushongo, 
52,  196-7 


Warfare  of  various  tribes — 

Babunda,  263-4 

Bankutu,  144-7 

Bashilele,  133  et  seq. 
Watch  "towers"  of  Batetela  rubber 

collectors,  131-2 
Weapons  of  various  tribes — 

Akela,  181 

Babunda,  273 

Basonge,  37 

Batetela,Bow  versus  muzzle-loader 
69 

Batwa,  83 

Bushongo,  93 

Vungi,  173 
Westcott,  Mr.,  31,  77 
White  man.  Native  notion  on,  307-8 
White  "  residents,"  suggestions  on, 

164-5,  219,  220 
Wigs  of  the  Bapende,  280 
Wissman  Pool,  Kasai  river,  animal 

life  at,  20 
"  Witchcraft "  {see  also  Divining)  at 
Oyumba,  163-4 

Initiation  ceremonies,  Bankutu,  141 
Wombali,  Jesuit  mission  at,  237 
Women  of  various  tribes — 

Bakongo,  as  Porters,  297,  302-3 

Bankutu,  134 

Batetela  tribe,  Keloids  of,  54 

YONGO's  practical  joke,  272 
Yuka,  the,  mysterious  animal,  33-5 

Specimen  secured,  64-5 

Story  about,  107 

Zappo,  "chief,"  at  Zappo-Lubumba, 
1 15-7,  128 

Sport  with,  122-3 
Zappo-Lubumba  village,  86 

Difficulties  at,  1 15-7 
Zappo  Zap,  warlike  tribe,  233 


Printed  by  Ballantyne,  Hanson  b'  Co. 
Edinburgh  6=  London 


University  of  California 

SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

305  De  Neve  Drive  -  Parking  Lot  17  •   Box  951388 

LOS  ANGELES,  CALIFORNIA  90095-1388 

Return  this  material  to  the  library  from  which  It  was  borrowed. 


^us 


A  A         001  422  152         7 


